Witches Man, Witches
by Allen Bedillion Trahurn
Summary: Meister Erik is freed from his crystal prison by the witch Lilith, but joins the DWMA in order to atone for the wrongs of his past. Meanwhile, the DWMA faces new threats in the form of something called the "Dark Wavelength." Currently undergoing revisions.
1. Prologue

**Witches Man, Witches  
**_A.B.T._

_Prologue – Freed from his Crystal Prison?_

"_How long have I been stuck in this crystal?"_ he thought, body unmoving. Not that he would have moved all that much anyway. He was still sore from his fight with Death, and even then his work didn't require any movement anyway. All-in-all, being imprisoned here was one of the best things that could have happened to him.

_"I can't say I would blame him either way, I suppose. If he hadn't intervened, who knows what I could have gone on to do? All the people I could have killed…"_ At this, he focused, and in the darkness of his mind he saw his own soul fade into view, floating peacefully. It was glowing blue and beautiful, like it had been for a while now.

_"No longer a Kishin Egg. Maybe Death will come back and see that I've atoned and he'll let me out."_ He chuckled then, _"Like that would happen."_ Then, he went back to fixing his soul, a figure appearing before him. It would be hard work to make his soul completely normal again, but it would be worth it he thought.

_Meanwhile…_

The Witch walked slowly and calmly through the dark cave, on her way to the "shrine." The fight between Lord Death and her toy had nearly killed him, but she knew he was still alive. She could feel his soul, so powerful yet so different, up ahead. Her heels made a sharp click with each strike against the stone floor of the cave, the only light coming from the crystal orb in her hand, just bright enough to light her way and show her features. She wore a black cloak and hood, but she had let the hood down earlier to let her short raven hair hang down. Most of her features were hidden behind the cloak, but her face was one of cool confidence, her eyes violet pools and her mouth a thin line curving up in a slight smirk. Up ahead, she could hear flowing water, and knew that she was close to her goal.

_"I will have him back,"_ she thought, her smirk widening into a full-blown smile as she stepped into a sphere shaped cavern. There was a hole leading to the outside world at the center of the ceiling, and the walls where light didn't touch were absolutely covered in crystals. From the hole filtered in pale moonlight, revealing in the center of the room a tall spire with stone stairs spiraling to its top. And on top of this, floating slightly, as a rather large crystal formation. At the base of the spire was a moat of whirling water, inside which the Witch could feel the remnants of a powerful Soul Wavelength, the same that seemed to make up the crystal, shining like diamond in the weak light.

_"Perhaps it is as hard as diamond,"_ she thought, leaping effortlessly over the moat and slowly making her way up the stairs, _"No matter. My light can pierce through anything."_ When she reached the top, she peered into the mass of crystals and was able to see the person locked inside. He had put his arms across his chest and brought his knees up before he was captured. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans and a tee-shirt that read, "Got Soul?" on the front in big block letters. His hair was long and brown, and hung around his shoulders in a mess. The witch smirked.

"The fetal position? Really? I thought you had more class than this,"she muttered, the light from her crystal fading as it floated into one of the pockets of her robe. Then, she placed her hands upon the crystal, closing her eyes as she began to mutter an incantation. She repeated the words a few times before abruptly stopping. Her eyes opened to reveal they were glowing with bright white light. A slight flash emanated from both her palms before a slight smile appeared on her face.

"Shatter," she said, and at once her magic did its work. First one crack appeared on the surface of the crystal, then that one split to two, then those to four, and on and on until the crystal finally became so clouded that the figure within was barely visible. As the light in her eyes faded away, the entire finally exploded into thousands of tiny crystal fragments. Below, she could hear the water of the moat begin to churn and heave violently, and when she turned she saw it fly up toward her, hanging in the air before crashing down.

_"What a clever trap,"_ she thought as she began to shield herself, knowing already that she wouldn't be able to stop it in time. Luckily, she knew she wouldn't need to.

An angry cry rang out from beneath the sound of the rushing water, and when it fell away the Witch found herself standing next to her "toy." She smirked.

"Glad to see you're awake…Erik." The boy panted slowly, putting his hands on his back and stretching, three loud pops coming from his spine.

"It's been how long?"

"That doesn't matter, because you're awake now." She put her hands around his neck, standing up on her tip toes to match his near six foot height.

"Now we can be as we were," she whispered into his ear before beginning to lean in for a kiss, but Erik held her at arm's length.

"No, Lilith. Not as we were. I'm not the Erik you remember," he said, keeping his eyes off of her. He let his arms drop and she made no effort to step forward. Her face had darkened, not in anger but in sadness, but she still continued to smirk.

"That's okay. We can always find more people and you can eat their souls…and…." she let her voice trail off as Erik slowly shook his head, letting his long mess of brown hair sway back and forth,

"I like the new me," he said with finality, "besides, that world…just isn't for me anymore." He began to walk away, jumping down from the spire and landing on the opposite side of the now completely still moat. There was a surge of power behind him, and he glanced back, steel blue eyes sad. Lilith had the most furious look on her face, and she glared at him, violet eyes ablaze.

"This isn't over, Erik. You will be mine in the end, just you wait!" Erik thought he saw a tear in her eye but couldn't be sure as she raised her arms and was gone in a flash of light.

"Lilith, the Shining Witch. Good luck," he said, tone indifferent, as he began to walk toward what he hoped was the exit, not knowing exactly where he was going to go.

**. . .**

Maka Albarn sat on the steps leading up to the Death Weapon Meister Academy, head in her hands as she thought about the events of the last few months. There had been the battle at Baba Yaga's Castle, and the final confrontation with the Kishin, Asura, as well. Both of these had nearly killed not only her, but her friends and team mates. She could still see, when she closed her eyes, the way her friends had lain, sprawled around her and near death. But in the end she had won the day, destroying the Kishin once and for all. After that she and Soul, her Weapon Partner, had continued their collection of souls, reaching 99 and finally, after so long, on the hunt for a Witch once more. Overall, her life had regained some degree of normalcy. But, within the last few days, something began to feel off. For one, a powerful Soul Wavelength had begun to resonate somewhere in the world, though she could be entirely sure where. At first, she had thought another Kishin had been born, but she had dismissed it almost as quickly – it wasn't as powerful, nor was it filled with the madness that had come from Asura. No, it was something different...different, but still powerful.

"Hey Maka. You okay?" she heard Soul ask behind her. She turned and gave him a brief smile.

"Just thinking." Soul closed his eyes and put his hands in his pockets, smiling his signature shark-toothed grin.

"Now's not the time for thinking. We've got a mission, remember?" She looked up at him angrily, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah yeah. I know Soul. We're after a Witch now. The so called "Shining Witch" Lilith, right?"

"Yup."

"The last soul before you become a Death Scythe." Soul smiled even wider at this.

"Yup. Couldn't have done it without ya," he said, extending a hand to help her to her feet. She took it with a small smile of her own, and together they descended the steps, striding forward into destiny.

Meanwhile, Erik walked slowly through the desert, beads of sweat dropping from his brow.

"Ugh…it's so damn hot!" he complained, trying and failing to wipe the liquid away with his equally sweaty forearm. He had been following a particular Soul Wavelength for a while now, after hopping a plane to the United States (an experience he was very skeptical about) and had landed somewhere in Nevada. Shortly after, he found himself directed to a place called Death City, which led him to the desert he was currently trekking through.

"Time to get rid of this…" he said, peeling off his black tee-shirt and revealing a slim but strong build. His chest was covered were several scars, colored pink as if they had recently healed. Honestly, he wasn't sure how that was possible, but he didn't question it.

"Besides," he said aloud, tying his tee-shirt around his waist, "the fact I don't seem to have aged a day is more astounding. Wonder how that works…"

After a few hours of walking (what water he had was gone), he finally saw his destination on the horizon – a city in the middle of the desert, the entire layout of which seemed centralized around a skull-themed castle.

"Not as dark as I thought it would be…ah well," he muttered, shielding his eyes from the slowly setting sun. He sighed and continued his trek, his pace renewed as prepared to start a new life.

**. . .**

Lord Death was sitting in his throne in the Death Room when he first felt Erik's Soul Wavelength approaching.

"Hmm…this is something I haven't felt in quite a while. Looks like she's finally made her move."

"Who is it, Lord Death?" asked Spirit, looking at his master with concern.

"His name is Erik, and he is the tool of a Witch, though I feel something different about him this time. Besides Stein, he is perhaps one of the most powerful Meisters I have ever known. But this was before the Academy, and I did not know about him until he had already been…enchanted…by the Witch. The Witch your daughter is after, I believe." Spirit's jaw dropped, but he regained his composure almost immediately.

"Is he with the Witch now?" the scythe asked with a cautious tone. Lord Death, meanwhile, held a massive white hand to his temple, scratching it as if in thought.

"Well…no, not that I can tell. He is heading toward the Academy now, in fact.

"What?!" exclaimed Spirit, "Then…shouldn't someone…I don't know, intercept him? I can go right now!" Spirit would have continued, but Lord Death held up a single finger and silenced him.

"Actually, I would prefer that you stay here with me. I want to see how this pans out." Lord Death brought his finger down on a button and a mirror slid up from the floor. Some words were said, and the surface flashed with static before showing an image of the desert at twilight, a young man walking alone toward Death City. Lord Death sighed.

"Looks like things are going to get a lot more interesting from here on, eh Spirit?"


	2. Death City! The Soul Ripper in Action?

Erik walked through the streets of Death City quietly, feeling the stares of many people on the back of his head. He didn't know how many of them were ordinary, how many were Meisters like himself, and how many were these "Weapons" he'd heard about from travelers on the way to the city. He learned that a place called the DWMA, or Death Weapon Meister Academy, had been built by Death years ago to seal away the sleeping Kishin, Asura. _"Asura became a Kishin after all. That guy always scared me anyway."_ Erik thought to himself, passing by a group of small children, who all stared at him with wide and fearful eyes. He ignored them, and continued walking toward what he had first mistaken as a castle, but was actually the Academy itself.

"Hey you! Who do you think you are!" he heard someone yell from above him. When he looked up, he saw someone standing at the top of the steps leading to the DWMA. He was holding a pair of kusarigama, had spiked blue hair, and a tattoo of a star on his right shoulder. He had a huge cocky grin on his face. "Call me Erik," he yelled back, "I'm here to seek an audience with Death!" The boy laughed obnoxiously, and then said, "Of course you want to know who I am! My name is Black Star, and I'm the man who's going to surpass God!" Erik felt the boy's soul wavelength grow to an immense level of power then, and he said, "The only way to get to Lord Death is to go through me! I won't even need Tsubaki to help me with someone as small as you!"

Erik tensed up and focused his wavelength into his fist and watched calmly as Black Star dropped his weapon and rushed down the stairs toward him. When the boy was in reach, he struck, but was slightly surprised when he missed. "BEHIND YOU!" he heard the boy yell, "BLACK STAR…BIG WAVE!" Erik couldn't help but chuckle to himself as the little ninja gave away his position and dodged the attack, wiping the cocky grin off his face and caught him in the gut with his fist. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you one of the Star Clan?" Black Star grunted and looked up at him angrily, then said, "That…doesn't matter to you…punk," then gave a kick that threw him up most of the stairs. _"Holy crap…kid's got some strength in him." _Erik landed lightly on his feet near the top of the steps and rushed down to Black Star, intending to end the battle in one shot. "Bring it on!" he cried, the grin once again on his face. Erik felt his soul wavelength intensify as he prepared his ultimate technique. Both of their attacks connected, each of them digging their fist into the others chest. "Nice knowing you kid. Peace," said Erik confidently, the focused his soul wavelength into the palm of his other hand, then said, "Soul Ripper," so quietly that he was sure not even this kid, Black Star, could hear him. He felt his wavelength pulse into his palm as he pressed it into the boy. There was a moment of silence, and then he fell to the ground without a sound. And in Eriks palm was his soul, shining blue and beautiful. It was a good soul…and a powerful one. Erik felt some of his old self take over, and he had the incredible urge to devour it, but stopped when he heard a woman yell, "BLACK STAR!" When he turned, Erik now saw a woman running toward him with long black hair and a very concerned look on her face. She knelt by Black Star and shook him, saying his name over and over again, pleading with him to wake up. Finally, she looked up at Erik with tears in her eyes and said, "What did you do to him?" Then she noticed the glowing soul in his hand and gasped.

"I know that soul….Black Star….what did you do!" she exclaimed, standing and confronting him, grabbing him by the shirt. She was crying freely now. "Give his soul back! Give it back to him now!" she cried, looking him dead in the eye. Erik pushed her off of him and said, "Chill out lady, he'll be fine." He knelt down and put the boy's soul down on his chest. It sank in as if his chest were made of water. He sputtered and coughed for a moment, then his eyes fluttered open and he said, "What happened?" Erik stood and looked toward the Academy, saying, "It's called the…"

"It's called the Soul Ripper technique. Something very powerful indeed," Lord Death said, gazing into the mirror which now showed an image of the steps leading up to the Academy. On said steps were three people; Erik, in front, Tsubaki, and on her shoulder was Black Star, still weak from the attack. "How can someone have such a powerful skill? He wouldn't even have to fight his opponents; just get a hand on them and tear their soul out," said Spirit calmly, his hands in his pockets. He didn't look very happy.

"No, that's not quite right I'm afraid. The Soul Ripper is powerful, but at his current power I doubt Erik can use it as freely as he did when fueled by the power of countless human souls and the help of the Witch, Lilith. However, if he were to meet up with the right Weapon…" Lord Death answered, getting quiet and trailing off at the end of his sentence. Spirit merely stood and nodded his head as Lord Death spoke, then he gasped as his Masters meaning became apparent to him.

"You can't seriously be thinking about letting him join the Academy; someone with that amount of power, someone with that background? It's crazy!" He gazed into the mirror with Lord Death, staring at the boy, Erik. His power could be devastating if used for the wrong purposes. As if reading his mind, Lord Death said, "Yes, his power is something to be feared when in the wrong hands, which was how the Witch Lilith used him. Convincing him that he could become stronger and stronger with the power granted to him by the countless human souls he devoured. And of course, she played on his youthful emotions as well, luring him in with talk of love. In the end, when it came down to it, I sent Asura after the Witch while I went against the boy. After all, they were our main priority before Asura became the Kishin. The battle was amazing, but I won out in the end, and put him in a crystal prison, intended to seal him away forever. However, Asura returned unsuccessful. Perhaps it was the Witch Lilith that freed him." Then Lord Death turned and looked at his Death Scythe, "But the absence of the Witch is a good sign, and surely you can feel that his soul isn't a Kishin Egg. Interesting…very interesting. I'll have you go and retrieve him Spirit," then continued to watch the trio make their way to the Academy. They were in front of the doors now

"That Soul Ripper…sounds like a pretty badass move. Not as," Black Star paused to cough, "not as badass as me, but still badass." Erik chuckled and said, "Yeah. But it doesn't seem very effective anymore," then he opened his eyes and looked up at Tsubaki and asked, "So, you said Death was in here right? In a room called the Death Room?" Before she could answer, he heard someone behind him say, "Yeah, I'll be the one taking you there. Name's Spirit." Erik turned and looked at the man, who had red hair down to his shoulders, and wearing a nice suit, his hands in the pockets. "And I would appreciate it if you called him Lord Death, not just Death. Please follow me," Then he turned and walked inside, and Erik followed him, leaving Tsubaki and Black Star standing outside.


	3. The New Guy! Going it Solo?

"Wait hold on. You're saying that this guy….what was his name?" asked Soul.

"Erik," Maka, Black Star, and Tsubaki chimed in.

"Right, Erik. Anyway, you're saying that this guy is going to actually be going to school here?" Maka looked at her partner and said, "Yeah, turns out this guy is a pretty tough Meister. He doesn't have a partner, but apparently he's been gathering Kishin Eggs faster than a lot of us, especially you, Black Star." Black Star looked at her angrily, and then said, "Ha! He'll never outshine me, right Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki merely smiled said, "Of course, Black Star." Black Star smiled a wide smile and started talking about himself and how great he was again, as he usually did.

As they walked, Maka asked, "So, has anyone seen Kidd lately?" Soul gave a glance back and then said, "He's probably on another mission. That guy's been working hard lately. Totally uncool." Maka scowled at him and said, "Yeah, at least he's getting through his missions. We can't even find this Witch, let alone defeat her." Soul chuckled and said, "Yeah, whatever. One Genie Hunter will take it out with one shot."

"Yeah but we haven't been able to use that since we battled Asura." Maka retorted, then stopped when she looked up and saw someone. He was wearing a pair of faded and ripped jeans, tennis-shoes, a black shirt that said, "Got Soul?" on it in white letters, and a faded black leather jacket. His hair was brown and long, yet somehow spiked back. His eyes were a very light blue, almost grey. He looked tired.

"Nice to see you again, Black Star," Erik said, now standing about five feet away from the group. Black Star scowled and said, "What, you want to go, old man? I'll take you down right here, right now." Erik closed his eyes and smirked, then said, "What, you mean how you did when I first got here?" Black Star growled, "You got lucky that time, punk." Erik opened his eyes and held his left hand open down at his side. His soul wavelength jumped a bit, "Is that so?" Black Star chuckled and said, "Come on Tsubaki, Kusarigama mode." Tsubaki frowned and said, "Black Star, maybe now isn't the time…" He looked at her and said, "Don't worry this will be quick." She sighed and transformed, again amazing Erik. He was still unsure how a person could turn into a weapon. He never knew about it, except when he fought Death, but even then he didn't know that it was actually a person. He could feel another soul there, but he dismissed it. But that was fine._ "This won't take very long,"_ he thought.

"That's enough. Get to class." They heard someone say behind them, and when he looked Erik saw the zombie teacher Sidd. He still freaked him out. Freaking zombies. Meanwhile, Tsubaki changed back and the others walked into the classroom. Erik caught Black Star giving him a dirty look and just smirked back. When he attempted to enter the room himself however, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked back Sidd was behind him, along with his partner Nygus.

"Listen, Erik, I'm concerned about you. You've yet to find a suitable partner, which makes your being a Meister…" Sidd said, trying to find words for what he was trying to say at the end. Erik knew where the conversation was going and said, "Pointless, seeing as how a Meister's job is to create a Death Scythe. Am I right?" Sidd looked down and sighed, and then Nygus spoke up, "Yeah, pretty much. From what I've seen though, it seems that you being unable to find a compatible partner isn't that they can't match your Soul Wavelength, but that you refuse to make any friends. The only "friends" you have are Maka and the others, and only because Black Star sees you as a rival." Erik sighed and said, "It's not my fault I have issues, teach. Being taught to fight alone by a Witch messes with you, you know. Isn't there a kid here that was raised by a Witch? Chrona, wasn't it?" Sidd bowed his head in defeat, and Nygus merely shook her head, and then said, "You need to work on this, kid. Go on to class," then walked away while Sidd passed him, walking into the classroom. Erik sighed and muttered, "I wish I could find someone. You have no idea," then followed.

Death the Kidd flew along on Beelzebub, toward his target; a man whose soul had become a Kishin Egg. He was a terrible man with terrible power over darkness and a liking for the souls of pure virgin women. His name was Count Dracula.

"So, Kidd, where exactly are we going?" asked Patti, in weapon form.

"We're going to Transylvania to find a man who calls himself Dracula. He's supposedly a vampire that stalks the streets looking for virgin girls and drinks their blood, then devours their souls. His own soul has progressed greatly, and he will soon become a Kishin. As a result he has great power over darkness, and probably has several people enthralled to serve and protect him. He lives in an old castle, I hear." Liz whined and said, "Vampires and creepy castles aren't for me guys! Why couldn't you just let me stay at the Academy?" Kidd merely continued to fly on and said, "I couldn't leave you there, Liz. Without you the symmetry would be thrown off and I simply couldn't fight." She whined again, and Patti laughed for no reason at all. Up ahead, Kidd saw the castle, and the town it overlooked. The terrain was gloomy, the weather was cold, and the sun was setting to west. _"From what I've heard, the vampire will only come out at night,"_ Kidd thought, _"This fight may be difficult, but I doubt it will be too much trouble."_

Lilith sat in her lair alone…for the moment. Around her were prisms and crystals that bounce and refracted the light from a single torch in the middle of the room, not only making the room bright but also incredibly confusing. But not for her; she'd been living with this light for years, and it soothed her. After all, she was the Shining Witch Lilith, the only Witch of her kind. She could heal, and she could destroy. Nothing was beyond her reach. _"Except for my toy…or is he really a toy?"_ she thought, looking steadily into the fire of the torch, _"How could he leave me behind, the one who taught him how to fight? How to use his soul wavelength to use the Soul Ripper, a technique I devised for him myself? It doesn't make any sense." _She heard footsteps nearby, and said, "What do you have to report?"

A young man entered, his features hidden by robes and a hood, "Ma'am, one of your alarms was triggered this afternoon, a young Meister and Weapon team passed by Gate C. They didn't see through the illusion magic you placed there, but we think they can sense you. They must be after you." Lilith frowned, then said, "Yes, I felt them pass by earlier. They had strong souls, this is true. We may not be as lucky next time. But have no fear. I doubt they will get this far in." The man stayed silent for a moment and watched the fire with his master, then said, "And what of the boy, Erik? The one you set free earlier this week?" She was silent, then smiled and said, "Don't worry about him. I raised him, I loved him, and I trained him. He will come back to me…err…us." She couldn't see it, but the man was smirking beneath his hood, and he said, "Very well, ma'am. I will continue to watch for any more signs of those students from the Academy," and backed out of the room, while Lilith returned to watching the flame, weaving her spells.


	4. Abandoned! The Counts Alluring Gaze?

Death the Kid looked calmly up at the castle, admiring its symmetry. "Whoever built this castle was a genius, don't you agree girls?" Patti nodded enthusiastically, and said, "Yeah this place is creeeppy! Hahaha!" Meanwhile, Liz was standing behind them, shivering in fear. "Guys…can we go home now…? Please?" Patti looked back at her older sister and said, "Awh, c'mon Liz! This place looks like it's going to fun! You're not scared are you?" then began to go "OoOoOoOh" like a ghost, which caused Liz to cry out in fear.

"Liz. Patti. He's here." Kid said, no longer looking at the castles symmetry, but at its now opening gates. "Transform girls," Kid commanded, followed quickly by both of them saying, "Right," before becoming twin pistols for their meister. And in the darkness of the now wide open gate, a tall man stood, wearing the clothing of a nobleman; a black suit with a white shirt, a blood red tie, and a flowing black cape, which was the same red color on the inside as his tie. Overall, he was dressed very well. He had handsome features, a beak nose, a goatee, and he wore a pair of sleek shades. He had a slight smirk on his face. Kid could feel the dark power of his soul wavelength pummeling him. _"He's powerful…more powerful than I thought,"_ he thought, standing ready to fire when he needed to. The Count laughed a deep, throaty laugh that echoed around the countryside.

"Why so much hostility, young one?" the Count asked, his voice deep, rich, and thick with a Transylvanian accent, "Won't you come inside and join me?" Kid was about to speak when he heard Liz sigh, "Yes. Yes I would very much," and Patti say, "Uh-huh," in a far away voice before they returned to their human forms and slowly began to walk toward the Count. Kids eyes grew wide and he stammered, "Liz….P-Patti? What's going on?" Dracula merely chuckled and said, "It seems they know how to be respectable guests," as they reached him and allowed him to drape his arms around their shoulders. They in turn put an arm around his waist. Both of them had dreamlike expressions on their faces.

Angrily, Kid hopped aboard Beelzebub and flew at the Count at breakneck speed and began to spin, crying, "Tornado Flip!" He was stopped in the middle of his attack, however, when the Count flicked a hand back toward him, sending a powerful blast of his dark wavelength crashing into him. Beelzebub went flying in one direction, Kid in the opposite. He landed hard on the stone road, and when he looked up, he saw Liz, Patti, and the Count walking into the castle. "Liz…Patti…" he muttered, reaching a hand up to them, the power of the Counts soul wavelength still pulsing through his body. Without turning, Liz said, "Get outta here, Kid. We've got a date with the Count tonight. We'll catch up with you later," followed by Patti saying, "Buh-byyyee!" Before the gates closed, the Count looked back over his shoulder, still smirking. His shades had fallen down his nose a bit, and Kid could see his eyes. They weren't good eyes at all; dark red, and full of malice. Then the doors closed, leaving Kid lying in the dirt. He closed his eyes and muttered, "Dammit…" He balled his hand into a fist and hit it to the ground, then began to hit it harder, repeating himself again and again, beating his fist into the ground harder and harder until finally he looked up to the sky, crying, "DAAAAAMIIIIIT!" as a flash of lightning signaled an oncoming storm.

Erik held the Kishin Egg in his hand, watching as it glowed with its menacing red glow. _"That was my soul, not so long ago. How long ago was that? Ten years ago? Twenty? Thirty? God this is so messed up, so much time has gone by." _He closed his hand into a fist around the Kishin Egg, feeling the now latent power within it. Too bad he didn't have a Death Weapon to give it to. The thought of it depressed him, but he guessed it couldn't be helped. _"I suppose not every Meister can have a Weapon, right?" _Thoughts like this plagued his mind as he pulled a small mirror from his pocket and fogged it up, then wrote, "42-42-564," calling up Death. There was a moment where the mirrors surface was like water, and then an image of Death appeared.

"Hey hey hey! Yo yo yo! Wassup, Erik, how's it goin!" Death asked exuberantly, giving him a peace sign as he did so.

"Hello, Death, my mis…" he started, but was interrupted when Spirit pushed himself into view and bellowed, "IF I'VE TOLD YOU ONCE PUNK I'VE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES TO CALL HIM LORD DEATH!" He looked angry, but before Erik could respond he heard Death cry, "Reaper Chop!" and watched as Spirit went down like a sack of potatoes. Erik smirked and said, "As I was saying, my mission is complete, and I assume you want me to bring you the Kishin Egg, as usual?" Spirits hand shot up and he tried to pull himself up again, muttering the word "Punk," over and over again, but Death just pushed him down and said, "Yes Erik that will be perfect. I have something to tell you when you get back as well." Erik nodded and asked, "Is it about my next mission?"

"Something like that, I suppose. See you when you get back, kiddo," he replied, then ended with "Chau!" as the mirror once again showed Erik his on reflection. _"It never ceases to amaze me how different he seems," _Erik thought as he replaced the mirror in his pocket and began walking back toward Death City, the Kishin Egg still gripped in his closed fist. _"I wonder what that old man would want to tell me."_


	5. Dark Soul! Strength in Numbers?

Erik stood in the Death Room, watching Death walk back and forth while he explained what was going on. Spirit was standing a little ways away, leaning against a wall near the entrance.

"Basically, the Shining Witch Lilith has been planning something big," Death began, "but what it is we don't really know. What we do know is that she had been instigating the creation of many Kishin Eggs, including two very powerful beings. We have sent two of our own more powerful Meisters after them. The first is a man who goes by X. We don't know much about him, other than the fact that he has a scar shaped like an X on his cheek, and he works with Lilith indirectly. I sent Black Star and Tsubaki after him, and they shouldn't have TOO much trouble….at least I don't think they will." Death paused and looked at himself in the mirror for a few seconds, then continued.

"Lastly, there is a very powerful man in Transylvania who goes by the name of Vlad the Impaler. Or, more simply put, Count Dracula. He was quiet for several years, but lately he has resurfaced and has once more begun terrorizing the people of the area. I sent my own son, Death the Kid, to take care of him, but he hasn't returned yet." Erik waited for a moment, and then upon seeing that Death had finished his speech, he asked, "So…what exactly does this mean to me, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Ah yes I had nearly forgotten. I want you to go and assist my son, if you don't mind. I'm afraid something may have happened." Death answered, then Erik asked, "And what about the Witch? What about Lilith?" Death was silent for a few more seconds, then said, "Maka Albarn is currently on a mission to find and eliminate her, so I suppose we should just trust the she and Soul can do the job. Anyway, now YOU have work to do, so run along." As Erik looked back, he saw Death give him a peace sign and then turn to talk to Spirit. _"This sucks….I really don't want to go to Transylvania…."_

Lilith moved swiftly and silently, wanting to avoid detection, a task that wasn't the easiest thing to do in Death City. Especially so when you took into account the fact that Medusa had opened up the Academy's eyes to the possibility of infiltration when she was discovered by Franken Stein. Of course, the odds were slim that she would be seen as a Witch while she was using Soul Protect, but it was still a cause for concern, in her opinion. _"Not that any of these foolish little humans would be able to stop me from getting away," _she thought, stopping to look at some of the wares held by the local fish merchant.

"Well aren't you a cute little thing. How about a twenty percent discount sweet thing?" he asked, looking her up and down as he did so. She had forgone her black cloak in favor of a more common number; a black dress that stopped just below the knee, allowing her to show off her legs, and a pair of black stiletto heels. _"How can the humans stand these things,"_ she thought as she bantered with the merchant, attempting to seem as human as possible. Along with the somewhat revealing dress and shoes, she wore a pair of contacts colored just right to make her eyes seem blue, rather than the violet color they were normally. Granted, she could have used magic to bend the light refracting from her eyes to change their color, but with Soul Protect on it wouldn't do her any good. All of these things made her look completely human.

"How about it, cute little lady," the merchant finally concluded, "care to purchase some fish from my shop? Fifty percent discount." Lilith chuckled and replied, "No, thank you though. I should get going, bye!" As she walked away, the merchant called to her, "Just where are you going anyway?" She glanced back, flashed him a smile, and said, "Just going to see a friend."

Erik now stood in Transylvania, in the small village overlooked by the castle in the distance. _"Everything is so…gloomy here,"_ he thought, looking around at all the older styled building around him, _"looks like they don't change much around here."_ He could feel the stares of the people around him, and knew that, if he had the Soul Perception skill, he would probably be able to see all the villagers watching him from their respective homes. He looked up at the heavily overcast sky and couldn't tell whether it was day or night, but he assumed it was night, since there were no people in the streets. _"Or…maybe they're just always afraid, and they never leave. Guess vampires do that to people."_ He decided to begin the trek toward the castle, not really paying attention to where he was going, just following the trail. _"I'll get there eventually,"_ he thought.

"Once more, just once more. I'll get through this time around, I know it." Kid told himself, kneeling by the gate to the castle. Beelzebub lay beside him, the skateboard having been proving itself inefficient to break down the gate. And he couldn't fly in through any of the windows. As a last ditch attempt, he decided he was going to put all of his strength and power into one final Tornado Flip, aimed directly at the gate. If this didn't work, nothing would. He was just about to go for it when he heard someone call out from behind him, "Hey, Kid! That doesn't look like the best plan, you know." When he turned to look, he saw Erik, the new guy at the DWMA, coming toward him. _"What is he doing here?"_ he thought.

"Trying to break down a gate like that is just going to get you hurt. I thought you were smarter than that. Besides, wouldn't breaking the door down ruin the symmetry of the building?" Erik said, walking up and extending a hand to help him up. "Well, normally yes, but if I break them down directly in the middle, they'll fall to either side respectively, preserving the symmetry. But that's beside the point right now. I have to get in there now." Kid responded, taking Eriks hand reluctantly and standing. That was when Erik finally noticed it. "Uh, where are your partners?"

Kid looked to the side and said, "They left me out here and went inside with the Count. It seems he can enthrall the women he wants to feed on, so that they come to him willingly. However, it may work on any human, as far as I know." Erik patted him on the back and said, "Don't worry about it. They didn't leave you on purpose. They couldn't control what they did," he walked up to the gate and looked at it, touching it with his hand. Thought he didn't have the Soul Perception technique, he could still feel the dark energy pulsing from inside. _"That's one hell of a soul wavelength. Reminds me of how I felt when I fought Death. Maybe not quite that powerful though,"_ Erik thought, removing his hand and turning to look back at Kid. "I assume you tried the windows?"

"I've tried everything," Kid replied, "but short of the doors opening for us I doubt we'll be getting through." Erik looked at the door, and then said, "Well, it seems to me that it's the Counts soul wavelength that's keeping the gate closed, and it's probably what's keeping you from getting in through the windows too." Kid scoffed and said, "Stop telling me what I already know, Erik." Erik smirked and said, "No reason to be rude. Our best bet is to let me create a momentary gap in the dark wavelength with Soul Ripper, and with that split second we have, we can get inside. Sound like a plan?" With no other options available to him, Kid nodded and stood by the gate, awaiting his chance.

Erik focused, and brought his soul wavelength to his open palm, which now rested a few inches away from the gate. He looked at Kid and said, "I'm going to put a lot of force into this. It's my hope that the blast will blow the door open and disrupt the dark wavelength. If it doesn't work, I'll probably get thrown back. If that happens, do me a favor and catch me would you?" Kid nodded and tensed, ready to make a dash forward…or backward if need be. Putting his hand on the gate, Erik said, "Soul Ripper," and let his soul wavelength pulse into it. He could feel the dark wavelength resisting, but it was more malleable than he expected it to be. Still, he put enough force into the strike to blast the door open. Another plus, as the gate opened inward rather than outward. After that everything happened within the blink of an eye. The gate opened and Erik dashed inside, Death the Kid just steps behind, his skateboard now stowed away…wherever he put it when he wasn't using it. They barely made it through as the gate slammed shut behind them and the dark wavelength snapped back into place, the strength of it enough for the both of them to move back a bit. _"A castle with gate that open inward and outward…not very good security if you ask me,"_ thought Erik, now standing in complete darkness. Not far away he could hear Kid whisper, "Don't worry, girls. I'm coming for you." Erik rolled his eyes and walked slowly toward where he assumed Kids voice had come from, thinking, _"Good luck finding anything in the dark, Kid."_

Maka and Soul walked slowly through the jungle, looking for something they couldn't find. "Why would this Witch put her own lair so close to Arachnes? Or were they working together?" asked Soul, looked around with a bored expression. Maka looked at him for a moment and then replied, "Well, chances are they knew of each other, but I don't think Lilith is…or was…part of Arachne. She's very well hidden though, I'd say she could've remained hidden, or maybe she made this place her home after Arachne was defeated. Who knows?" As they walked Maka continued to notice the amount of damage that was done to the woodland. _"That battle was intense…it's a surprise that there isn't more damage here," _thought Maka, now walking alongside Soul. She looked over at him and couldn't help but admire him .She couldn't help a lot of the things she'd been feeling for him recently, but she wasn't sure she could tell him. Not yet anyway. There was silence for a few minutes before Soul finally said, "Maka, can you feel her Soul anywhere near here?" She focused, but could only feel a few weak souls, but nothing worth her trouble. Strange, since she was almost certain she had felt it around here just the other day. "I don't know...I can't feel her around here anymore. Maybe she's just not around?" Soul was silent for a few minutes, then said, "Well, whatever. She's likely to be around at some point. Let's just keep looking."

Meanwhile, a man in black robes watched as Maka and Soul walked by, maybe ten feet from Gate C. It was all he could do to keep his soul wavelength from tipping them off. _"Good thing Lilith put her powerful Illusion on all of the Gates, or we would have been found out by now,"_ the man thought, turning and entering Gate C, which was actually one of three entrances into a part of the cave system that was, thank god, unexplored by Arachnophobia. And now that Arachnophobia was no more, the Shining Witch was free to be alone and make her own plans…whatever those plans might be. But the man didn't make a big deal out of that. It was really none of his business anyway. All he had to do was report that the Meister and Death Weapon were getting closer to finding her. And he didn't have any intention of letting that happen.


	6. Inside! The Real Battle Begins?

Lilith walked casually up the steps to the Academy, a risky move. She knew that if she made even one wrong move, she'd be killed on the spot. _"All these kids here are after Witches Souls too. They'll all jump on the chance, if it comes up. Better make this visit quick,"_ she thought, passing a couple of older students as she walked. She could feel their eyes on the back of her head, but she was sure they weren't suspicious. Probably just checking her out, like so many of the men in town had been. After all, she was young and beautiful. Or at least she looked that way. She wasn't sure how long her magic would hold, but she had been able to keep herself looking eighteen for who knew how many decades…or maybe how many centuries. But age meant nothing to her, not with the goals she had in mind. As she approached the gate to the Academy she passed by a man in a business like suit and red hair, and beside him walked a slightly taller man, dressed in a white lab coat covered with stitching and a pair of spectacles. This man had gray hair, but didn't seem very elderly, but this wasn't his most astonishing feature. No, his most astonishing feature would have had to have been the stitches tracing around the left side of his face, and the giant screw in his head. As she passed these two she noticed that they had stopped and were staring at her as well, but not in the way everyone else had been doing. No, these two were looking at her with intent, with purpose. They knew something was off about her. She knew they knew.

"Ma'am, can you tell me why you're dressed so well? Most people dress casually when coming to the Academy. Is there something going on that I don't know about?" Stein asked, not turning to face her and fiddling with the screw in his head, making a "click-click-click" with each turn. Lilith froze and said, "What, can't a girl dress nice?" She tried to sound offended, but came off more as angry. Malicious. Suspicious. It was the man with the red hair that spoke next, "As cute a thing you are, there's something wrong with the way you move; too graceful, even for humans; especially in those heels, right Stein?" The name told her exactly who the man in the lab coat was, and she instantly prepared herself for trouble. _"The greatest Meister to ever graduate from the Academy…well, besides my toy."_ She thought.

"Yes, not to mention that her soul is off," Stein replied, now turning, the lenses of his glasses flashing light back at her in such a way that she couldn't see the eyes that were now focused on her, "After Medusa I've become quite good at seeing through a Witches Soul Protect. So…who are you, and what do you want here? Surely you know that you can't succeed in whatever it is you're planning to do."

Lilith kept her back turned to them, then said, "I'm here to see someone. It's of no concern to you." There was silence for a moment, and then Stein said, "Come on Spirit, we have to go," followed by Spirit gasping and exclaiming, "But…she's a Witch, Stein. We should deal with her while we have the chance!" Lilith glared at the one called Spirit and said, "You can try if you can, but you won't stop me." Spirit took a step forward but was stopped when Stein put his hand up in front of him, "No, she won't do anything. If she makes a move Lord Death will destroy her in moments. We really don't have anything to worry about do we, Shining Witch?" Lilith was taken aback for a moment, wondering how she was so easily known, but since it was Franken Stein she supposed she could understand. As they turned and walked away, Spirit still gazing over his shoulder, she heard Stein call back, "I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let you be for now. You're not our target anyway. But the person you're looking for isn't here. He's out in Transylvania." Then they were gone. Lilith turned and looked up at the Academy, looming over her head, and thought, _"So, he's going to meet up with the Count. Things may be going my way after all."_

After about five minutes of walking through the pitch black castle, Erik finally called out, "Hey! Turn on the freaking lights!" Though he couldn't see it, Kid looked over at him and scowled, then continued walking. It was about at that point that torches and candles spread out all along the room, showing that they were in a grand foyer. Along the walls were flags with the emblem of the family that had owned the castle, and at the forward end was a large staircase leading to the floor above. There were doors to either side of the staircase, as well as on the floor above. None to their left and right though. There were also people, surprisingly. They were men and women who looked as if they may have been of noble birth, but something was wrong with them. It only took a moment for Kid to see what it was right away.

"They don't have souls. Not their own souls at least. Look at them." And Erik did, seeing how, when he really looked, they were too thin, their skin gray, their eyes a filmy white and deep set in their sockets. Dead, every single one.

"Thralls," Erik began, "Corpses being controlled by the dark wavelength that saturates this place. I've never seen anything like this before…disgusting." The Thralls merely stood around, doing as they would were they still among the living; they talked (their mouths moving but making no sound) they drank (from empty glasses) and they danced. The dancing was perhaps the most surreal of the situation, the Thrall waltzing to and fro to a silent beat, perhaps one that they had danced to before they were killed.

It was Kid that moved first, taking a few steps toward them, walking past a couple dancing. _"They were probably a nice couple, when they were alive. Why does this maniac insist on keeping these people's bodies?"_ he thought to himself, and he found out when he reached out to push through a small group, though he would later wonder why he tried something so foolish. As soon as his hand touched the shoulder of the one nearest he heard a loud screeching coming from all around him. When he looked, he noticed that all of the Thralls were now looking at him, their eyes now a dull red and their mouths wide open, the sound obviously coming from them. The sound was nauseating. As he put his hands up to his ears, the Thralls surrounded him and began to grope at him, pulling on his clothes and arms, trying to immobilize him. "Oh shit. Hold on Kid, you idiot!" yelled Erik, running after him, but soon being grabbed by one of them himself. At its very touch he could feel the dark wavelength that filled its very being, and its grip was incredibly powerful for something that was just skin and bones. "Get off me!" he cried, tossing a punch filled with his own wavelength at its head. The attack was effective…for a bit. The things head, brittle to the point that the attack broke it to pieces. But instead of loosening its grip and falling to the ground, or just disappearing as he had expected it to in the beginning, but instead the pieces just floated back and returned to their original places. "The hell?" he cried, shocked as more of the Thralls surrounded and engulfed him, their hands tearing at his clothes and skin, the dark wavelength working its way into his own, actually beginning to cause him pain. _"So, no matter what I do, the dark wavelength just snaps back into place?"_ he thought. Then it hit him, and he remembered how he opened the gate. _"Maybe…maybe using Soul Ripper to cut a path through them. Granted, it was a long shot, but it was worth a try."_ He focused his power, now buried beneath Thralls. With his technique readied, he cried, "Soul Ripper!" and shot his hand up into his attackers, his attack throwing many of them to the sides. Any of them that came into contact with the attack got torn asunder. He stood and looked where Kid was, under a pile of Thralls as he was a moment ago. He knew he didn't have time, as he already saw the Thralls he had attacked begin to reform. Keeping his wavelength focused, he rushed toward the pile, striking away any Thralls that crossed his path. _"I can't keep this going forever; I've got a few minutes at best. Better make them count,"_ he thought, already feeling his arm begin to grow heavy and his soul weakening. He didn't waste any time when he reached Kid, batting away Thralls until he finally saw Kid, looking him dead in the eye as he said, "Help me up out of this!" Erik couldn't resist, "What, a Reaper can't take care of a few dead guys?" he asked, grabbing his now outstretched hand with his right (his left still channeling the now fading Soul Ripper) and yanked him out from under them. Then, they both raced for the stairs, both of them climbing as quickly as they could while the Thralls lumbered after them, still emitting that God awful screech. The doors at the top of the stairs, large much like the front gates, burst inward as the both crashed through, then swung shut with a loud bang. As soon as they closed, the screeching stopped, and when they looked around Erik and Kid found themselves in what could only be considered the throne room of the castle. The walls were adorned with more tapestries bearing the family emblem from before, as well as the heads of many slain animals; several deer, a bear, and even a lion, just above the throne. There were more candles and torches along the walls, the flames a pale blue color. And sitting in the throne was the Count, Dracula. To his left and right were Patti and Liz, respectively, the pair of them dressed in elegant dresses, both black with gold inlay in intricate designs; both designs were of dragons, both of which were exactly the same and pointing towards the throne. And at his feet was one more girl, who looked around Eriks age. Her hair was long and black, her eyes green. She seemed to be staring off into space, but Erik had the feeling she wasn't.

"You're dressed a lot more modern than I assumed you would, Count," said Erik, his wavelength going back to its normal state as he released the Soul Ripper.

"Well," he began, removing his shades, showing his blood red eyes, "I thought it would be best to go with the times. And as you see, it has not only attracted one girl, but three." Then he stood and said, "I see you got through the reception…and now the real fun can begin. Right ladies?"

Patti, Liz, and the black haired girl all replied, "Yes, Master."

_"Crap…"_ thought Erik, _"This won't end well."_


	7. Fight On! The Power of a Dark Soul?

The fight started almost instantly; Patti transformed and Liz began to fire at Kid, who dodged and hid behind what was once a standing pillar, but had long ago been broken. Meanwhile, the black haired girl rushed Erik, the power of the dark wavelength increasing her own, making the pulsing power visible; it looked kind of like a violet aura coming from her arm. Erik knew getting hit with that would probably end badly. _"Another person capable of controlling their wavelength with precision," _thought Erik, dodging left and right as the girl thrusted her arm again and again at his head, her hand looking more like a claw than a hand, _"Goodie."_ As the battle ensued, Dracula merely sat in his throne, watching the battle with an almost hungry look in his eyes.

Erik caught a glimpse of Kid still cowering behind the fallen pillar. He wasn't even attempting a counterattack. _"Guess I can't blame him though, those are his partners shooting at him. His friends,"_ he thought as he dodged another attack, this one barely grazing his cheek. The aura around the girls arm was like a blade, cutting into his skin. He saw an opening, however, and took it, kneeing the girl in the stomach, causing her to double over, then grabbing her by the neck and tossing her like she were a discus. Thanks to his wavelength, she actually flew to the other end of the room, near the throne. Dracula didn't stir. The Thompson sisters, however, did, their attention now turning to him as Liz and Patti switched places. Erik noticed that their bullets were also a violet color. _"The dark wavelength must be overpowering their own. That would explain why they've been, for a lack of better words, hypnotized,"_ he thought as he sunk down beside Kid. He was actually shaking, which was kind of scary to see.

"Liz…Patti…why?" he asked himself, to which Erik replied for him, "Enough with this, Mr. Reaper. You still got that skateboard?" Erik had a plan, but he knew it could backfire if he did it wrong. But it was worth a shot. Kid said nothing, but summoned Beelzebub.

"Good. Just hop on that and fly around. I'm going to try something drastic. Okay?" Again, kid said nothing, but did as Erik asked. It was all he needed. As Kid flew around, grabbing the attention of the still wildly firing Patti, Erik dashed, not for the girl, but instead for the Count himself, who merely watched as he rushed up, the faint smirk never leaving his face.

"Alright you sadistic vampire bastard! Your soul is mine!" he cried, leaping high into the air, allowing his wavelength to completely saturate his hand, now clawed in such a way as to rip the monsters heart out. His wavelength gave off a pale blue aura from his hand.

"Soul," he cried as he flew down at his opponent, cocking his arm back for the strike,

"Ripper!" he finished, driving his hand straight toward the Counts chest.

Instead of making contact, as Erik expected, he stopped, feeling the resistance of something strong enough to suspend him in mid air. Where his hand was, he felt the power of Dracula's dark wavelength, pressing against his own wavelength. The Count smiled and said, "Dark Wavelength…Gather." As soon as the words left his lips, there was a great shift of power; a ripple in the dark wavelength filling the castle. After this, all of this power rushed to the Count, returning to his soul. Erik knew that, if he were to look back into the foyer, the Thralls would be gone, their source of power and existence taken from them. He could feel the power pulsing through him, brushing against his soul and causing him pain for a few seconds. When it was finished, the Counts soul was visible; it's power extending a few feet from him, creating a barrier of dark energy. It shined a deep, dark violet color, as Erik thought it would, and it had a single demonic wing jutting from the left side. Surprisingly though, Erik noticed that this soul wasn't a Kishin Egg. After all, he should know what one felt like, his having been a Kishin Egg, once upon a time. No, this was something different entirely, but he couldn't identify it. He didn't think anyone could.

Lilith, sitting once more in her home, watched as the battle in Transylvania raged on. She watched as Dracula retracted his dark wavelength, showing some of his true strength. _"Things are going better than I thought they would. At this rate I may even be able to get rid of Deaths child, that brat,"_ she thought, watching with a smirk as Eriks face contorted for a moment in pain as the dark wavelength passed through him. She felt sad about this, and knew why. _"I allowed myself to miss his presence, to allow myself to become too close to my toy. What a fool I am."_ Silently, she continued to watch as Erik fought vainly against the near full strength of Vlad the Impaler.

Slowly, the Count removed his shades, showing his blood red eyes. "Yes, I expected something like that. She told me you would try to take my soul. Too bad you don't have the strength you used to. I see your soul, sickeningly blue and pure." He slowly put the shades into an inside pocket of his jacket, then looked back up into Eriks eyes, "But something tells me that will change, in time." Then, he flipped his hand in an almost lazy, shooing gesture. The effect, however, was intense, crashing through Eriks attack and sending him flying to the other end of the room, landing near Kid and his partners, who were released from the Counts influence when he gathered his power.

"Kid…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…." Liz said, tears running down her cheeks. Patti said nothing, but she had fallen to her knees and was sobbing silently. They remembered everything. Kid merely shook his head and said, "It's okay girls, I promise," then he looked over a Erik with a somewhat cold look in his face and asked, "When he said 'she' what did he mean? Who told him about you?" Erik didn't reply as he stood, but then again he didn't really have a chance.

"Oh, so you don't know? It seems that your little friend here has the quite the dark past."

"Shut up!" Erik said, increasing the power of his wavelength, making his Soul Ripper more powerful. He could feel his arm starting to hurt, but didn't worry about it. All he needed was one clear shot.

"Oh, so you still have some fight in you. Not surprising. Minora!" he called back, to which the girl with black hair walked to his side and replied, "Yes, Master." From what he could see, Erik thought she must still be under his control. He watched as the girl transformed and flew to his arm, becoming a gauntlet. She was a powerful weapon, made of a black metal with spikes at the knuckles. The fingers were pointed and Erik was sure they were razor sharp and deadly. The gauntlet reached up to just below the elbow, and there was a sharp blade moving up the outside of his arm. _"She was a weapon all this time, yet she can use her wavelength to attack. Impressive,"_ thought Kid as Liz and Patti transformed and he crossed his arms, holding them upside down with his pinkies on the triggers. The Count looked at his Weapon now, and then closed his hand into a fist quickly, making the blade extend a few inches.

"Well, then. Are you ready to die, boys?" the Count asked, his voice confident and his ever present smirk widening to a grin, showing off his elongated canines. His eyes almost seemed to be glowing. Both Kid and Erik answered with an attack; Kid firing his twin pistols rapidly, the compressed soul wavelength bullets not making a dent in the Counts wavelength, which had once again jumped in strength thanks to the addition of Minoras power. At the same time, Erik dashed forward and struck out with his hand, grazing Draculas dark wavelength, attempting to find, or make, a weak spot. No dice. It was solid as a rock. _"How the hell am I supposed to hit him like this?"_ thought Erik as he barely dodged the blade of the gauntlet as the Count shifted his position and slashed at him, swinging his elbow to accomplish this attack.

Erik felt something change in him then. It was like pain at first, and he faltered for a moment, his soul wavelength weakening. _"I've been using my wavelength for too long…this isn't good…"_ he thought as he leapt back from the Counts reaching claw, which caught on and ripped through his leather coat as if it were tissue paper. Meanwhile, Kid kept firing on his opponent, still not doing any damage.

"My attacks aren't doing anything….Liz, Patti, think we could pull off the Sanzu Lines again? No probably not," he muttered to himself, trying to think of a good plan, "But we at least have to try Soul Resonance. Are you ready girls?"

"Ready," said Liz

"Ready!" replied Patti.

"Alright, let's go Soul Resonance!" they all cried, and the power the resulted was extraordinary. As their souls began to unify, the power of Kids wavelength increased exponentially, and his arms were covered in metal gun-barrels, and black needles, three on each shoulder. He squatted down and began to charge his attack, rings of red energy encompassing the barrels, energy gathering within them, and twin crimson skulls appeared above each barrel.

"Feedback at 2.3%, Death Cannon ready to fire in 5," said Liz

"4," said Patti

"3," Liz

"2," Patti

Kid opened his golden eyes and looked at the Count coldly. Dracula was now watching him with a great deal of interest, making no move to defend himself.

"1," Liz, Patti, and Kid said at the same time, after which Patti excitedly exclaimed, "Fire!" The twin barrels exploded with light, and two blasts went crashing into the Counts wavelength, exploding on impact and filling the room with skull shaped smoke clouds. The initial shot itself moved kid back a few feet. He stood as Patti and Liz reverted to their normal forms, and all their eyes were on the smoke clouds. As the clouds cleared, Kid gasped as he saw the Count still standing. And not only was he standing, but he was clapping as well, his grin even wider.

"A terrific attack, truly splendid. It almost makes it a shame that I have to kill you," he said. Then he began to walk forward. Fortunately for Kid, the Count had forgotten all about Erik for the moment. He was so intent on Kid that he didn't notice Erik rush up from the side and strike, passing through where his wavelength was supposed to be and make contact with his chest. He grin was gone as Erik, weak and tired, said, "Soul Ripper."

"No boy!" Dracula said, grabbing Erik by the throat with his Weapon, piercing his neck in five places, then continued, "You will not have my soul today. The Soul Ripper is not powerful enough." And Erik knew this to be true; no matter how much power he put into his wavelength, he would never get enough power to take his soul. He let his arm fall limply to his side as the Count held him high enough to look him directly in the eye.

"If she didn't want you alive, I would destroy you right here." Dracula said angrily, "That Reapers attack must have made an opening for you. A lucky shot." Then, he tossed him to the side and said, "I'll let you both live this time, but next time I promise you a swift end." He looked down at his gauntleted arm and watched as the girl reverted to her original form and collapsed.

"Hmph. Seems my hold on her has ended. Oh well," then he looked Erik in the eye and said, "Be seeing you soon, Erik." As his vision began to fade, Erik watched as Dracula disappeared in a mass of swirling shadows and dark power. His last thought before he lost consciousness was, _"Stupid…fucking…vampire."_


	8. Hidden Truth! His Dark Past?

Erik sat silently in the darkness, gazing at the pale blue orb floating before him. _"Seems that all that work fixing up my soul…however I did that… has paid off. I may not be as strong, but I don't want to hurt people anymore. I like the new me." _For a while, it just floated there in the darkness, just seeming to mind its own business. The way it slowly bobbed up and down was entrancing, and Erik felt his eyelids grow heavy just by looking at it. There was a change then, movement in the darkness that caught his attention. His eyes snapped wide open, darting left and right looking for something he knew he wouldn't be able to see. And it wasn't as if he had seen the motion a few moments ago, but more he had sensed a presence, the way you do when someone enters a room, or the way you can feel when someone is watching you. And that was the way Erik felt now, as he peered past his soul into the darkness.

Nygus stood over Erik in silence, reading over his chart. He lay in one of the hospital beds, connected to an ECG monitor, which slowly made its light beeping in time with his heartbeat. Beside him is the girl, Minora. She was awake, her light green eyes looking to Erik with pain. He black hair hung down over her shoulders, and she was playing with one of her locks nervously.

"Worried for him, sweetheart? Don't be. He will be fine I promise. He just used too much power is all, which probably wouldn't have happened if he had just found a reasonable partner. I swear this boy has been and will be a hassle. But I guess that's just how they are, right?" Nygus said, out of her usual serious disposition. She looked at Minora for a reply, but she merely shook her head and said nothing.

Nygus put his chart down and began to peruse Minoras, which was really just a description of any injuries she'd received recently, which were honestly none. The only reason Death the Kid had brought her in, carrying her like she were a baby in his arms, was because she had collapsed from exhaustion from the battle. "She was under Count Draculas spell, like Liz and Patti were. Her name is Minora," he had said, gesturing with his thumb behind him, were Erik was slumped between the two of them, each supporting his weight by his shoulder. There was a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. That had sent Nygus into action, forgetting all about Kids story and rushing Erik to the nurses' office for treatment. And now, she stood watching the two youths. "He'll be okay, I'll bet everything I own. If that kid is anything, he isn't weak." Minora shook her head again, but Nygus didn't notice, and continued on to say, "You should get some sleep Minora. I think Lord Death will probably want to talk to you when you wake up." Minora nodded as Nygus walked out of the room, lightly closing the door behind her.

_"If she could see the things I could see…"_ Minora thought to herself. She had been around the dark wavelength so long that she could see it clearly, wherever it was. And right now she saw it…swirling about him like a dark cloud.

Erik could still feel it, another presence in this dark place. His soul still floated serenely on its own. With the other presence still bugging him, he wanted to grab it and protect it, but he couldn't move. He never could move in this place, deep within himself; the residence of his soul.

"My, what a pure soul you have…or is it?" he heard someone say in the darkness. To his horror, he watched as the Count stepped into the light given off from his soul. "Get away!" he said angrily, wanting with all of his being to attack his foe, but knowing he couldn't. "Yes, I see it now, the darkness hiding deep in your soul, waiting to be unleashed yet again." The Count put a finger on Eriks soul, and a crack formed where he had touched it. Not a large crack, but still a crack.

"I'm sure we will meet again. Until then," the Count finished, once again returning to the darkness, then vanishing altogether, leaving Erik alone in the darkness with his soul.

Erik awoke screaming, causing Minora to nearly jump out of her bed and Nygus to rush back into the room, saying, "What? What?" Erik was covered with beads of sweat, and he was holding his head. But at least he had stopped screaming. _"What was that? A dream?"_ he thought to himself, knowing that he was wrong.

"Are you okay, Erik? What's going on?" Nygus asked, noticing that his heart-rate had leapt considerably. Erik held his head in his hands, took a deep breath, and said, "Nothing…bad dream." He knew it was a lie, but at this point he didn't care. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. This was when he noticed Minora. She was breathing hard in fear and was looking at him with wide eyes.

"Uh…I'm sorry…Minora, wasn't it?" Erik said, extending his hand in apology. She shied away, but nodded at the same time. "You don't talk much do you?" asked Erik, pulling his hand back and folding both of them across his chest. His head was starting to kill him. Again, there was no response from Minora, but instead Nygus said, "She hasn't said a single word since she got here. But yes her name is Minora. Death the Kid brought her and you here from your mission in Transylvania. It seems you failed." Erik looked up at her and said, "Yeah but I suppose these things happen." Erik glanced over and caught Minora staring at him. When she noticed him looking, her face turned a deep shade of scarlet and she looked away quickly. Nygus sighed and said, "Yes but at this rate you'll never make a Death Scythe. Granted you've got the strength and talent for it but…" she shrugged and walked out of the room. As the door closed, Erik called back, "I don't have a Weapon! I can't make a Death Scythe until I do!"

There were a few minutes of silence between Minora and Erik, the sound of his ECG beeping the only sound in the room, until the door opened and Death the Kid stepped in. He didn't look happy at all. As a matter of fact, he looked directly at Erik and scowled.

"Well, what's that look for, Kid?" Erik asked, to barely getting the sentence out before Kid angrily said, "That man, Count Dracula. He knew you. Why didn't you tell us what he was capable of?" Erik met Kids glare with one of his own and replied, "I've been kept inside a crystal for the past, what 20 years? Just before the Kishin Asura was born, I'm sure. He knew me, that's for damn sure, but I didn't know him or what he could do, so just back off." But Kid didn't back off. Instead, he walked up and grabbed Erik by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up and looking him in the eye, as well as making him ache all over. "And that 'she' he mentioned. I know you used to work with a Witch before my father imprisoned you. He knows her too, it even sounded like he works with her, too. How do you explain that?" Erik had never seen Kid like this; he had completely lost his cool. And honestly, he thought it was actually kind of annoying. Using his right hand, since his left was still damaged from the overuse of his wavelength in that arm, he pressed his palm up into his friends (was he really a friend?) and said, "Soul Force," launching him away with a blast from his soul. Kid flew across the room and probably would have busted through the wall if he hadn't stopped himself with his Shadow Skull Arms, a technique he had inherited as a Reaper. The dark tendrils grabbed at the walls and stopped him, setting him down on the floor lightly before retracting. He had a shocked look on his face.

"Listen to me, you little prick," Erik said, the angry fire in his voice sounding more like a growl than actual talking. _"Or like I was before…"_ he thought grimly, "You may be Deaths flesh and blood son, but that will not stop me from killing you if you ever lay your hands on me again. If anything you should be thanking me for saving your skinny little ass, along with Liz and Patti. So before you start busting into nurses offices and grabbing injured people by the collar, I suggest you think about what you're doing!" Erik felt Kids soul wavelength spike, and let his rise with it. He felt Minoras jump as well, but thought nothing of it.

"Go ahead, Death the Kid!" said Erik, his temper really flaring up now, "But you should know that the more pissed off you make me, the less likely I am to go easy on you." He was starting to feel like he did in the old days. He let his mouth widen into a devilish grin.

"That's quite enough, boys," said Death jovially, putting one of his gigantic hands on his sons shoulder as he entered the room. Kid cooled down almost instantly, returning to his usual calm demeanor. Erik still grinned, but he pulled back his wavelength. Lord Death looked over to him from his son and said, "Oh my, that's a face I hadn't hoped to see again. Do I have to put you back in crystal?" Erik closed his eyes and pulled back his grin to just a little smirk, saying, "No, of course not, Death. I just thought you son should see just exactly what he's dealing with, injured or not." Kid looked away at this remark, still holding back his anger. Erik chanced a glance at Minora when he still felt her wavelength was high, and she was glaring at Kid. _"Loyal for someone who was trying to kill me the other day."_

"Maybe," Death began, grabbing a chair for his son, who took it, knowing what his father was going to say, "You should explain what happened all those years ago. What you were back then. Let him see what you have gone through. Sound like a plan?" Erik merely sighed and said, "What the hell? He'll know eventually. So will everyone here, I suppose. Might as well start telling it before more people try to kill me anyway."


	9. Tragic Tale! A Fools Errand?

Erik took a deep breath in and said, "Telling the whole story at once will take too much time, and I'm tired so you'll get what I want to tell for now. I'd rather tell everyone at once instead, if you don't mind." Lord Death shook his head and said, "Not at all." With that, Erik began his tale.

"I was an orphan," Erik began, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back. To his left he could see through the window, showing a portion of the DWMA, and the sun laughing its endless laugh, "I remember the place almost perfectly, though it never really had a name. I think it did at one point, but whatever that name was, nobody called it that, especially us children. All it was to us was cold cots, raggedy sheets, stupid and stuffy uniforms, and terrible food. I think it was the uniforms that I hated most, honestly; there was no reason for them. We didn't go to any kind of school, so many of us were completely illiterate, myself included." Erik closed his eyes, clearly seeing the old orphanage as he told his story. Kid sat in silence, his golden eyes focused on Erik as he told his story. Lord Death was looking out the window, but it was doubtful that he wasn't paying attention. Then there was Minora, now lying on her side as she listened.

"I lived at the orphanage until I was ten years old. It was around that time that rumors went around about a Witch nearby. The people running the place told us not to panic, and like dogs we all obeyed. Well, most of us, anyway. I was the exception, of course. I had planned on getting out of there anyway," his face darkened as he reopened his eyes and looked down at his hands, now clasped in his lap, "but I couldn't bring myself to do it." He went silent then, fighting back the bad feelings associated with what he was about to say. When he finally got his nerve up, setting his face in a calm stare out the window, he continued.

"That is, until the day people started going missing. First it was just one of the people living on the streets; someone that nobody ever really noticed had gone missing. Then it got worse, with more people going missing, strange lights being seen in the forest, and of course the fear that maybe it was the Witch Arachnae, returning after nearly 800 years of silence. Among some of the people missing was the curator of the orphanage, as well as three children, two young girls and a boy my age. I think that was what decided what I was going to do; the night those four, the children and curator, missing I ran. I packed up everything that I owned, which wasn't much more than the clothes on my back and some food I packed into a satchel, and then I just walked out. Nobody stopped me, and nobody noticed when I walked out to the forest. Once I passed the tree-line, I remember running for a while, until I finally stopped in a clearing and collapsed, panting. That's all I really remember from there. The next thing I remember is being with a very beautiful woman, who you all know as the Shining Witch, Lilith."

At this, Kid gasped and said, "So the Witch you worked with…is the one that Maka and Soul are after now?" Erik merely nodded, then said, "Yeah, and the one who took me in after I'd left that no name orphanage in that no name town….and turned me into a monster."

Confused, Kid looked over to his father, who asked, "Erik, do you mind if I tell this part?" Erik nodded and put his hands back behind his head, his icy blue eyes looking out the window.

"As you already know, son, Erik was involved with the Shining Witch. She taught him how to fight using his Soul Wavelength, as well as kept him alive. To her, I believe she was just a test subject, or maybe some kind of toy to play with until she got bored. But to him…"

"To me she was my first love. I didn't know it at first, since I was only ten. Of course, I didn't know she was a Witch either. But as the years went on I guess I sort of fell in love. But I'm sorry Death; I didn't mean to interrupt you." Erik said before going quiet again. Somewhere down the hall someone, probably Spirit, yelled, "HAVE SOME RESPECT YOU PUNK!" There were running footsteps followed by a loud thud as Lord Death closed the door and locked it before the man could enter the room.

"Yes, it's quite alright, Erik. Anyway, it's true that Erik and Lilith grew very close over the years, and she trained him in the art of fighting with ones Soul Wavelength. She probably taught him reading and writing as well I'm sure. But I believe it was at the age of fifteen that she had him fight one of my personal pupils, whom you defeated," Lord Death continued, now addressing Erik, speaking more to him than to his son, "and whose soul you devoured. The first of many pure souls, I believe." Erik looked down and nodded, saying, "Yeah, I started with him, then Lilith had me attack innocent villages and eat the souls of those people as well. She said that with more souls I would gain more power, and that she could make it so that we could live together for all of eternity," Erik laughed to himself quietly, a dark sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, "and I believed it. I didn't want to believe anything else. To me, everything she said was what I wanted to hear, everything she wanted me to do was the one thing I couldn't live without accomplishing…I was a fool."

Lord Death picked up from here, saying, "Love isn't a fool's errand, Erik, but it does bring out the foolishness of our hearts. Your love was what made you do as she said, and with each soul you devoured, a little bit of your own was chipped away, until eventually it was a Kishin Egg," Lord Death looked away for a moment, as if he were thinking about something, then he said, "However, it can't be said that she lied to you. Every soul made you stronger, so strong that your Soul Ripper technique was almost strong enough to take my soul, something that I honestly thought would have been impossible." Erik looked down then, letting his long hair cover his face, and what he said next made the room quiet and tense.

"If I was so powerful back then….so evil….then why didn't you just end me, right there in the cave?"

Death the Kid and his father exchanged a quiet, almost alarmed look, but said nothing. Minora now sat up with a very concerned, almost hurt look on her face. For at least five minutes, the only sound in the room was the incessant 'beep…beep' of the heart monitor.

"I couldn't bring myself to destroy a child," Lord Death finally stated simply as he stood and reopened the door. Spirit stood leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. From the look on his face, he must've heard at least that last part. Before he left, Lord Death concluded, "Besides, you seem to have a turned a new leaf anyhow. You shouldn't let such dark thoughts fill your mind, Erik." Then, as if in afterthought, Lord Death said, "Oh, and starting tomorrow you and Minora are to begin working together as a Weapon and Meister pair." Eriks eyes grew wide as he glanced over at Minora, whose face had become a rich shade of scarlet. _"Great, the girl who wanted to kill me, but now wants to kiss me. Won't this be an awkward pairing,"_ Erik thought, not too thrilled about the idea, _"But on the other hand it's a pretty intriguing situation."_ As Lord Death left, Kid followed, glancing back at Erik once, his eyes, which had been filled with fury not fifteen minutes ago, were now filled with compassion, understanding. _"Or is it pity?"_ Erik caught himself thinking angrily, but dismissing the thought almost immediately. Nygus stepped in after allowing Kid to exit the room, and closed the door lightly behind her. Erik yawned, not noticing just how tired he was until now, and lay back, letting himself drift slowly into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw before the sweet darkness of sleep overtook him was Minoras big green eyes staring over at him, then turning away bashfully.

_"Well,"_ Erik thought groggily,_ "It's not too bad…she is kinda cute."_


	10. Witches Lair 1! Makas Decision?

**Well, my friends, here it is: the newest chapter to "Witches Man, Witches." (I thought I'd put a little intro in here so that you all knew I was human haha.) Anyway, here's the story thus fa-**

**Er: Oh can it, they should know what's happened if they've read through.**

**Shut up Erik this is my story, so I'll run it…*looks over at Minora***

**Mi:….*stares back, not blinking***

**Uuh…uuh…yeeeeeah anyway.**

**B*S: *Busts door down* HEY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET BACK INTO THE STORY HUH! I'm BORED!**

**Tsu: Black Star don't be rude…**

**So: No, he's right, this is totally uncool.**

**Would you all shut up, please?**

**Er: Why don't you just get on with the story?**

**Mi:…*twiddles thumbs nervously***

**B*S: C'MON LET'S GO!**

**All right all right fine! Where's Maka so she can start this thing?**

**So: She was right behind me a second ago…**

**Mi: A sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

…**...creepy.**

Black Star and Tsubaki stood outside the entrance to a dark cave in the woods. Black Star had his hips and his legs apart, standing as if he were the most important person in the world, while Tsubaki stood with her hands clasped in front of her while she gazed into the cave.

"Well Tsubaki, let's go!" Black Star exclaimed, his voice literally echoing throughout the cave before him. Tsubaki looked shocked and also exclaimed, "Black Star! Not so loud!" then she realized that she had yelled too and gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. Black Star looked back at his partner and grinned widely, showing all his teeth while he gave her a thumbs up.

"Don't worry about a thing, Tsubaki! This X guy is as good as toast now that I, Black Star, am after him! After all, I'm going to surpass God one day!" he said, his voice almost getting louder with every word. Tsubaki sighed and replied, "Of course, Black Star," then looked around at the forest around them. After a moment, she asked, "So why did we come here anyway, Black Star? Isn't this where Maka and Soul are supposed to be looking for that Witch?" Black Star merely replied, "Well, if this X guy is supposed to be working with the Witch, wouldn't he be somewhere nearby?" Tsubaki nodded and said, "Yeah…that would make sense. That was very clever of you, Black Star!" After she said that, Black Star started to laugh loudly, saying, "Yeah! I'm a genius like that!" After a few minutes, he finally calmed down enough to say, "Either way, this guy isn't likely to be a pushover. Let's go, Tsubaki, Kusarigama mode!" She nodded and transformed, Black Star catching her deftly as he walked forward, all the while thinking, _"I'm coming for you, X. I hope you're ready."_

Maka and Soul were resting now, since they had been out here for a few days now. Luckily for them, there was a small town just nearby, where they had replenished their supplies so that they could keep looking for the Shining Witch. _"It's strange,"_ thought Maka, poking at the fire they had made, _"I can feel her nearby, but it's distorted. It's not like she's different than any other Witch…more like it's hidden behind some sort of barrier or something."_ Then a thought occurred to her, something she thought maybe she should have realized a while ago; maybe she was hidden behind something, some sort of barrier that kept Maka from finding her lair, and from letting her see her soul properly. As these thoughts coursed through her mind, she felt herself getting sleepy, until she finally passed out.

Soul watched Maka rest against the trunk of a tree while he prodded the fire he had made. _"Without any help from her," _he thought, somewhat frustrated, _"just what the hell is she doing over there? Sleeping? Geez…"_ As Soul gazed at his partner, he felt his eyes begin roam about her, mainly the features of her face and skin. Her face was set in a somewhat frustrated frown, but it wasn't unattractive to him. As a matter of fact, what he saw was something as near perfect beauty. He noticed the way her pony tails hung over her shoulders, and found it amusing when she began to fiddle with one as she really began to get into whatever dreams she was having. She adjusted herself as she was sleeping and part her skirt pulled up a little, revealing a larger portion of her thigh, something that Soul found his eyes lock on. He felt his face get warm as he stared at her porcelain skin. Then she pulled the skirt back down, and he thought he had been caught, but to his relief he noticed that her eyes were still closed. _"I wonder what she's dreaming about," _thought Soul, the pale flesh still fresh in his mind. He began to imagine what it would feel like to touch it…then caught himself, thinking, _"What the hell Soul, what are you some kind of freaking pervert? Get your head out of the gutter." _But despite what he told himself, the thoughts kept going through his mind, until finally he began staring at Maka with an almost hungry look on his face. And it was at this moment that Maka emerald orbs snapped open, staring dead at Soul, who was still looking at her in that strange way, and whose face was now burning hot, his cheeks pink.

"Soul, what are you staring at?" she asked suspiciously, trying to follow his gaze, which was now fixed on the little bit of her thigh that was still exposed. When she caught onto this, she turned bright red and said, "S-S-Soul! What the hell?" Before Soul, now flustered and embarrassed, could answer, Maka nailed him with a "Maka Chop" with her book, which looked like a Japanese to English dictionary.

"Gaaah! Maka what was that for!" he exclaimed, to which Maka angrily replied, "You were….you were…." She turned bright red and kicked him once, twice, three times before she stormed off into the woods, leaving Soul to tend to his new injuries.  
"God, I can't believe him! I mean, my own partner, a nasty pervert! I swear, all men think about is sex!" she said as she stomped through the forest, no twig or leaf or sprout safe from her heavy footfalls. At one point she noticed a squirrel sitting in a tree nearby, watching her with its tail twitching while it munched on an acorn. She looked at it angrily for a moment, but when it didn't move, she screamed, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" At this sudden outburst, the squirrel squeaked and fell from the tree, landing on its back with its tail still twitching. She would have felt kind of bad about that, had she not been so incredibly pissed off. _"Hypocrite," _she caught herself thinking, and stopped stomping. After all, had she not done the same, just the other night?

When it had been raining, and Soul had gotten them to the town nearby, where they stayed at a local inn, using what little money they had. They were completely soaked through by the time they got to the room, so she had gone to the bathroom to change, but now before she saw Soul change his shirt. The look of his body had captivated her attention, and she had the feeling that she had looked just like he had. _"Maybe he wasn't just being a horny teenager…maybe he feels how I feel."_ At this she sat on a stump and put her chin in her hands, looking over at the still twitching squirrel, pouting. _"And just what do I feel for him?"_ she thought to herself, her anger dissipating and giving way for her coming sulk. She knew she loved him, but what if he didn't feel the same? What if just saw her as something to use for his amusement? The very thought made her nauseous. _"No…that's not Soul."_ She thought, knowing full well that Soul was her best friend and wouldn't do anything like that, ever. _"What if he said no?"_ Well, she supposed she could live with that. Granted, she wouldn't be happy about it, but at least she would know. Then she felt her stomach do a little flip when the next thought rolled through her head.

"_What…what if he said yes?"_ she bit her lower lip, and she felt her heart flutter uncontrollably at the thought. After all, besides her dream of making him a Death Scythe, that was something that she had always wanted. _"No…not wanted…needed. I need it…I need him." _After a few minutes she felt better, and as a plus, she had made a decision. She would tell Soul tonight, and get it over with once and for all. She stood and looked down at the squirrel once more, which was still out cold on the ground. She muttered a quick "I'm sorry," before she started to walk back to the camp. At least that was where she had planned to walk to, until she felt it, its presence as obvious as if someone were announcing it. She looked left and saw it; a cave entrance. It didn't look like anything special, but using her Soul Perception she could see it…the Witches wavelength…pouring out of the cave as if it were smoke billowing out of the gaping maw of a dragon. In all honesty, it kind of scared her. _"But we found her, finally we found her. Sorry Soul, but I guess I'll have to tell you later..."_ she thought, kind of put out that it would have to wait, but still running to go get him, remembering this spot, all the while crying out, "SOUL! SOUL! I FOUND IT!" And as she yelled his name, she couldn't deny that it felt good…right.

"Lilith, Gate C and Gate A have been breached, one by the scythe-meister pair that I spotted earlier. Seems she just kind of stumbled on it on accident. From what I heard from the few recording systems left over from Arachnophobia, this pair is definitely after you, mistress," reported the man, still dressed in the black cloak and hood of his master. She glanced at him and wondered listlessly if he ever changed, "and the other gate, Gate A, has been breached by a second weapon-meister pair, also from the Academy. This one was an obnoxious brat and a rather attractive woman. Unfortunately I couldn't hear much of their conversation, since the boys incessant yelling was actually enough to bust the speaker. But I do know that they are looking for X." The Shining Witch glanced up from her crystal, which had gone dark quite some time ago, and said, "Oho, 'rather attractive' you say? Looking at other women now, child?" The man merely replied calmly, "Of course not, mistress. Just making an observation."

"Of course it was. But this business with X has me somewhat unsettled," She said, gazing pensively into her dark crystal, an almost bored expression on her face, "I haven't chosen a new X yet, as you know." At this the man jumped, showing true excitement, "I am more than ready to accept this honor, mistress." At this remark she chuckled and said, "Oh, child, your wavelength is indeed powerful enough, but I can't put the original into just any old Meister. No, I'm afraid that just won't do. But you may prove useful to me, if you are willing to serve." The man, now excited like a puppy about to go on a walk, said, "Anything for you, mistress." She smiled and said, "Very well, this is what I want you to do."


	11. Witches Lair 2! Is it Love?

**Hello! Welcome to yet another edition of "Witches Man, Witches!" I hope you've liked the last few chapters, and I'm looking forward to some reviews soon!**

**Er: What are you doing?**

**Just…just saying hello to all my readers?**

**Er: Oh…okay carry on then.**

**Whoa whoa whoa Erik you're bein' awful quiet. You okay?**

**Er: ….yeah? Let's just start this thing I'm tired.**

**Okaaay..? Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter as much as you have the others, despite their being somewhat OC heavy. I'm going to give you guys more action with some of the original characters this time around. *looks around* So, uh, where's Minora, Erik?**

**Er: What, am I her keeper now? I'm not supposed to keep tabs on her; I thought that was your job.**

**Well, I can't be everywhere at once, you know. You're sure you don't know where she went?**

**Er: Nope, don't really care.**

…**...you'd think you would since she's your weapon partner now. Oh well, since there's no one else here, maybe you should do the honors.**

**Er: …**

**Well?**

**Er: *sigh* whatever. A sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

Black Star walked through the cave in rare silence. The walls were definitely dug out in places, judging from the support structures placed throughout. Right now, the cave was no more than a tunnel, but he was sure that it could widen into a larger chamber at some point. Along the walls were wires, strung so that every twelve feet or so they would be connected to an old electric lamp. Every once in a while, one or maybe even all the lamps would flicker on and off for a moment. The light they gave off was shoddy, but enough for Black Star to see where he was going. From what he could see, there was a large metallic door at the end of the tunnel, the newest looking piece of machinery in the place.

"Well, maybe it's all remnants from Arachnophobia. What do you think, Black Star?" asked Tsubaki, her face appearing in blade of one of the Kusarigama. Black Star smirked, all confidence, and replied, "If that's the case then I guess this Witch will be just as weak as they were. Ready Tsubaki?" A look of concern flashed across the Weapons face when he said this, and she asked, "Ready for what Black Star?" He ignored her, however, and cried "YAAHOOOOOO!" launching himself at the door. Tsubaki screamed and cried "BLACK STAR? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Meanwhile, the man in the black cloak and hood stood, watching the camera's that he'd been able to salvage from the wreckage that used to be Arachnophobia. He had five cameras in total, all taking up a small portion of the monitor he was observing. Of the five, three showed the insides of Gates A through C, and the other two showed the inner parts of the lair, which were filled with Liliths light reflecting crystals. Said crystals made seeing in these rooms incredibly difficult, but he could tell which rooms he was looking in by the way the light moved: in one, the light was steady, signifying that it was coming from an electric source. However, in the other, the light moved and flickered, signifying that it came from torches. Lilith would not condone electric lights in the main chamber (he remembered the way she destroyed them vividly) so she put up torches in their place. At the present, it was the camera showing Gate A that had his attention.

"Whoa whoa, what's this kid…" he said, his sentence cut off by a loud "YAAHOOOOOO!" followed by a near deafening metallic crash. As he watched, a chunk of rock…or maybe it was a piece of metal…filled the screen for a moment before it was replaced by gray and black fuzz, the sound of static now filling the air. The man stood with his mouth hanging open, thinking, _"That kid is pretty strong to bust through a three inch thick steel security door…but he's kind of stupid isn't he?"_ He turned and began to walk away from the monitor, toward the only exit in this chamber of the cave. He would meet up with this kid and do as his mistress commanded. After all, it was all he wanted to do. _"Strange that this kid would try brute force right off the bat, though. Didn't he notice the panel to the right side of the door?"_

"Black Star!" said Tsubaki angrily, now standing at the wreckage of what used to be a steel door. There were pieces of metal lying about everywhere, and the main bulk of the door was still intact, lying a few feet away with several large dents in it.

"There was a panel to open the door, Black Star! Why do you have to break things?"

"Just letting the door open up wouldn't be big enough," said Black Star boldly, his smile broad and toothy, "so I decided I'd make my big entrance!" Tsubaki stared at her partner in disbelief, then sighed and said, "Well, next time let's try to be a little stealthier, please?" She then transformed back into the Kusarigama. Black Star rubbed his nose and said, "Yeah sure, whatever Tsubaki. Let's find this guy," and took a look at his surroundings.

This chamber was pretty much the same as the tunnel a few minutes ago, except that this chamber was considerably better lit. Not only that, but Black Star could see that there were hundreds, maybe thousands of crystals in this place, reflecting the light from the electric lights around the chamber in every direction. His shadow fell in places all around the room, and he had to admit that it was disorienting. _"Not too disorienting, though. I can handle this. Hell, I can handle anything."_ There two more steel doors around the chamber, one to the left and one straight ahead, past one giant crystal that took up the center of the chamber. Black Star decided to open the door on the opposite side of the chamber first, humoring Tsubaki by trying the panel beside the door. Nothing. He tried a second time, and again got the same result. Agitated, he began to press the panel repeatedly, the small beep coming from it growing faster and faster, filling the room. After a while, Tsubaki sighed once more and said, "Black Star, you can stop. It's not going to open." Black Star merely replied, "Yeah yeah…let's…hey do you feel that?" Tsubaki, whose face had once again appeared in the blade of the Kusarigama, sighed once again and said, "Yes, Black Star, I feel it. I've been feeling this soul wavelength for a while now, actually. You should pay more attention." He nodded at her words and said, "Yeah, I know Tsubaki, give me a break. All that matters is that we've got him cornered. Let's go!" Then he took off at almost a dead sprint to the other door, the panel working perfectly for this door.

Meanwhile, Maka and Soul walked silently along a similar passage, a tunnel filled with crystal. Neither of them spoke, even though Maka had told him that she had forgiven Soul for peeping.

_"Why did I even stare in the first place? Why would a cool guy like me be interested in a flat chested know-it-all like her, anyway?"_ he thought, his hands deep in his pockets, and his scarlet eyes to the floor. The light from the crystals was making him sick to his stomach. But his thoughts brought up a good point; what exactly did he think of Maka, anyway?

_"She is a good girl, I mean; she's a brilliant Meister, a good friend. Not to mention that she's smart, strong, gorgeous…"_he stopped walking at that last thought, _"Gorgeous?"_ He looked after his Meister to try to see how he could possibly think that. And as he watched, it began to dawn on him, and for the first time in his life he believed he was truly seeing Maka. He noticed everything about her: the way she walked, as if she knew exactly where she was going, was somehow more graceful to him than any dancer could ever move. Her skin was pale, the lights in this place giving it a lustrous quality. Yes, he had no doubts in his mind that she was the brightest thing in the area. Maybe even the world. Her hair, in its two signature ponytails, waved to and fro as she walked, shining in this light as if her hair spun strands of gold. Then she stopped and turned, allowing him to see the soft features of her face, and the gleam of intelligence in her emerald colored eyes.

"What's wrong, Soul?" she asked, and he noticed how her voice was more pleasing to his ear than any music, and his being a musician only enhanced that feeling.

"Soul?"

"What? Oh…uh…sorry Maka I was just thinking…" Soul said quietly, snapping back into reality. He shook his head, and then quickly returned to her side. She tried to look him in the eye, but in an incredibly uncharacteristic bout of bashfulness, he looked away.

"Soul, are you really okay?" she asked, her concern showing in her voice as well as on her face. Forcing himself to look her in the eye, he gave a relaxed smile and said, "Yeah, Maka. I'm fine. Quit nagging me." She scowled at him and said, "Sorry for showing concern, then. Let's go we're close." At that, she walked off, with him close behind.

_ "At least he's acting normal again, I thought he was mad at me,"_ Maka thought, even though she knew that that thought didn't make any sense. If anything she should still be mad at him, but she wasn't. _"I wonder what he was thinking about anyway."_

As she neared another steel security door (they had passed through one already, at the entrance to the cave) she felt her heart flutter a bit as she thought, _"What if he was thinking about me? He did have a dreamy look on his face."_ As she pressed the panel, she was startled by the power of the wavelength that came from the now open doorway. _"This Witch is powerful. Maybe not as powerful as Medusa or Arachnae, but definitely not your average Witch. We'll have to be careful,"_ she thought. She felt Soul take her hand and her stomach flipped, and when she looked at him she noticed his face was a little red. Nonetheless, his arm became a scythe and he said, "Alright Maka, let's go." She nodded as he transformed the rest of the way, and together they walked in, she walking with him as if he were a walking stick, each click of the scythe hitting the floor echoing throughout this wider chamber, which was also filled with crystals. Crystals reflecting the flickering lights of torches spread to every corner.

**Welp, there you have it, my friends. Another great chapter (probably not) completed. I hope you liked it, and can't wait for part 3!**

**Er: Way to be enthusiastic….wait why weren't Minora and I in this one?**

**B*S: Probably because you guys just play too small a role. After all, not everyone can shine like I can! AHAAHAAAHAAHAHAA! *rubs nose***

**Mi:…..*whispers to Tsubaki* Um….does he always…?**

**Tsu: *sigh* Yes…yes he does….whoa did you just talk?**

**Mi: ….**

***Black Star and Erik arguing loudly in the background* Anyway…ahem….*argument grows louder* ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT AND….HOLD ON…. *grabs Erik and Black Star and puts them at opposite ends of the room, mutters something like "little bastards"* I hope you guys liked this one, and I'll be posting part 3 after Thanksgiving at some point. Until then, hasta luego, mis amigos! **


	12. Witches Lair 3! An Unexpected Tragedy?

**Here it is, part 3! Hope you like it, this is going to be a somewhat important chapter, dontcha know. Because of this, I'm going to spend less time talking about it and more time writing about it.**

**Er: Awh, no shenanigans?**

**Nope. No shenanigans.**

**Er:…**

**Maka, would you start us off?**

**Ma: A sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

**Er:….no shenanigans….jerk .**

Black Star walked through yet another door, entering yet another crazy, crystal filled chamber. When he had first entered this place, the lights had messed with him, making him dizzy and somewhat sick to his stomach, but he hadn't let Tsubaki know. After all, he was the one who was going to surpass god, he didn't have any weaknesses. Now, after passing through chamber after chamber, his eyes were finally able to adjust to the changes in the lighting, to the way they seemed to bounce around the room at random. Now he was able to see clearly anything that might be important, including the several tripwires that had been set in some of the other chambers (or rather, Tsubaki had noticed them and shouted "Don't step there, Black Star!" whenever he was in danger of stomping down on them.)

And now, what he saw was a man in a large chamber with no electric lighting, but rather several holes in the ceiling that let in the natural light from the sun outside. The man was dressed in an all black cloak and hood, and even though it looked as if the crystals would make the light show under the hood, it didn't, keeping his eyes from view. His smile, however, was clear as day, a lopsided smirk that conveyed absolute confidence.

"Hello, young Meister," he began, adopting a very formal tone, "I see you made it into my mistress' humble home…even if you did trash a good deal of equipment in the process. Either way, what is done is done, I suppose. Allow me to introduce myse—"

Black Star wasted no time in introducing himself, his voice boisterous and loud, "THAT'S RIGHT! TREMBLE IN FEAR AS I, BLACK STAR, HAVE COME FOR YOU!" At this, Black Star adopted a pose, spreading his feet wide apart, putting his head down, and pointing one finger to the ceiling. There wasn't a sound for a few moments. Not from Black Star, not from Tsubaki, whose face had appeared once more in the blade of the kusarigama, her head hung in embarrassment, and not from the now gawking mystery man, his jaw having dropped. After another moment or so, Black Star cried, "AHA! SO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, AND ARE NOW SPEECHLESS IN ADMIRATION! WAAHAAHAA!" Then he pointed at the man and gave him a large smile, his eyes staring the man down, "TELL ME, LITTLE MAN, WHERE I CAN FIND X SO THAT I CAN DEFEAT HIM AND SURPASS GOD!" Again, silence, but Black Star didn't waver, his eyes still focused wholly on the man.

_"What is this kid's problem? Is he crazy? Or is he really this arrogant? I gotta feel for his partner."_ The man thought, then he cleared his throat and said, "Um…anyway moving on. I welcome you to the lair of the Shining Witch Lilith. I'll be your host for the evening," his smirk became a more sinister grin, revealing unnaturally sharp teeth, "You may call me the Black Samurai, Equis. Or, if you prefer, X. But I rather like Equis, it has a more…exotic feel to it." At this he drew a katana, long and razor sharp, a blade that was obviously well cared for. Its polished surface glittered in the wildly reflected light. The hilt itself was colored red, the material wrapping it leather rather than cloth. If asked, the man would probably proclaim that it had a better feel and gave him a better grip on the blade, but that would just be his opinion. From the blade, Black Star could feel power, and a great deal of it.

"So, you must be a Meister then, and that must be your Weapon. Why don't they talk, are they too afraid?" asked Black Star, his voice now lowered as he stood in a more battle ready pose. He still had a big grin on his face. Equis chuckled and said, "Meister you say? No, you're mistaken, boy. You say my weapon doesn't speak, but in truth he has been speaking this entire time." At this, Black Star scratched his head and muttered, "What are you talking about, dummy. You're the one talking, not him." Once again, Equis' jaw dropped.

_"No way can this kid be for real. Seriously, was he dropped on his head?"_

"What, did your mother drop you on your head when you were a child, X?" Black Star said mockingly, to which he replied angrily, "No, I believe it was the other way around though. What I meant to convey to you was that my weapon speaks because I am a Weapon." Then, he brought his blade up before him and said, "Get it?"

"Wait, I thought Weapons could only change their body parts into weapons. How do you separate your weapon form from your human form?" Tsubaki asked, intrigued. After all, she herself could turn into a blade, and she had once done the same, in her battle with Masamune, though to be fair that was inside the Enchanted Sword itself, not in the physical world. Equis replied, "Well, unlike other Weapons, I can separate this part of me from what is essentially me, a skill that took many years of practice, and one that my family has been capable of for several generations. I'm quite proud of it, actually."

"Yeah yeah, proud schmoud. That's not going to keep me from wiping the floor with you. Ready Tsubaki?

"He's our target, I guess I am," she said as her face faded from the blades surface.

Equis' grin left his face as he held his blade a little tighter, and allowed his wavelength, infused with the power of the Dark Wavelength thanks to his mistress, to flow freely. The power of it was enough for Black Star to feel it push at him, but he didn't allow it to move him. _"Geez, this guys wavelength is powerful...but not as powerful as mine!"_ he thought as he let his own wavelength loose, which not only stopped the power of Equis' wavelength, but also made him noticeably tense up.

"What's wrong, X? Scared? I can't blame you. It's not every day you get to fight someone as big as I am."

"Enough idle chit-chat for one evening, I should think. Let me see the power that will surpass god, boy, and let me have the pleasure of ripping that dream away from you," Equis replied as he looked up to see the sky had the reddish tinge of dusk, and noting that the light from the moon would change the way the crystals behaved. _"Good, this will make the fight all the easier."_

At this taunt, Black Star was on the move, darting to and fro in a zig-zag pattern, as fast as lightning, the chain on the Kusarigama clinking against the stone floor of the cave. When he got close enough, he spun around with a flying round house kick, which Equis deftly dodged, then countered with a straightforward kick of his own, sending Black Star back at least five feet, which he recovered from quickly by catching himself on his hands and back flipping upright. He only held one of the kusarigama. Equis followed the chain to see the other resting between his legs. He glanced up to see Black Star grinning as if he had won and then muttered, "Oh shit," and just barely did his own back flip dodge as Black Star flung his arm up into the air, causing the blade to fly up at him. Black Star yanked the blade back to him and began to spin it swiftly over his head, then sent it flying back at Equis.

"GOT YOU!" Black Star cried as the kusarigama wrapped around Equis' blade, keeping him from attacking as he lunged with the other blade, aiming for Equis' now exposed chest. Unfortunately for Black Star, his attack met nothing but air as he was able to turn his body. As a counter, he was able to twist around behind Black Star, drawing his blade from the wrapping chain of the kusarigama as if it were a sheath, then brought it up in a rising slash, catching Black Star in the back. Black Star fell to his knees but moved with the momentum of his attack to roll away from a second blow meant for his neck. He turned and stood, keeping a straight face despite the searing pain running up and down the new gash on his back, his blood making a light pattering on the cave floor.

"Black Star…are you going to be okay?" Tsubaki whispered, full of concern for her friend.

"Yeah…this guy can barely scratch me."

Equis noticed the blood beginning to very slowly pool around Black Stars feet and said, "Looks like that's more than a scratch, boy. Have you had enough or should I continue to cut you down to size," then he smirked and said, "Well, not that there's much of you to cut down anyway." This made Black Star scowl, and his soul wavelength spiked.

"That's big talk coming from someone as small as you, X. Guess it's time to show him what we can really do, eh Tsubaki?" She appeared in the blade and, though she looked concerned, she nodded and said, "Yeah, let's get him!" Black Star closed his eyes and smiled wide, then glared at his opponent and said, "Get ready to feel the power of a god, Equis."

Meanwhile, Maka stood before the Shining Witch, Lilith. She held Soul before her, his blade shining in the torchlight that was sent in every direction by the crystals.

"I see you've finally found my home. Do you like the décor?" the Witch asked, gesturing around her with a smooth and graceful motion of her hand.

"Lady, you should fire the person who did the decorating in this place: it makes me sick," said Soul, his face appearing on the surface of the blade. Lilith merely chuckled and continued as if he hadn't spoken, "Of course, it can be somewhat disorienting to those who haven't had time to adjust to it." Then, she frowned and said, "I take it you two are the Meister-Weapon pair that are after my soul?"

"What gives you that impression?" asked Soul, a wide, toothy grin showing off his jagged teeth. Maka tensed, but said nothing. She was ready. Lilith sighed and said, "I suppose this can't be helped then," then she snapped her fingers and the torches went out, allowing hundreds of holes in the ceiling to let in the moonlight from outside. Then, she raised her arms, and five small, spherical crystals floated up around her, the moonlight gathering within them.

"Let's go Maka!" Soul said, his voice a near feral growl, to which Maka replied, "Right!"

Lilith chuckled and said, "Oh, children. I do hope you enjoy my Magic Laser Show. I promise, it is something you will never forget." Maka tensed as the light in the crystals grew to a near unbearable brightness….and she didn't notice what was happening in the crystals around her until it was too late.

Back in the battle between Black Star and Equis, Black Star had begun his ultimate technique, one that would show his superiority over this little man.

"Tsubaki, Ninja Blade mode," he said as he rushed his opponent, the kusarigama changing into a small knife as he rushed. "SPEED STAR!" he cried, dashing around Equis with blinding speed, rushing in and out to attack. Equis was quick, but every once in a while he would get a hit off.

"Grr…enough of your foolishness boy!" Equis said angrily, blocking Black Stars next attack, a kick aimed for his head, and flung him away, getting two quick strikes on his arms as he flew a good ten feet away. While he was in mid-air, Black Star had Tsubaki change to Shuriken mode and threw her at Equis, which he blocked and slammed to the ground. While he was doing this, however, Black Star was able to rush around behind Equis, where he cried, "BLACK STAR…BIG WAVE!" and attacked him directly with his soul wavelength. The attack itself was successful, but it wasn't effective, as Equis turned and said, only his wide smile visible, "Goodbye, little ninja!"

"Tsubaki, now!" Black Star cried, to which Tsubaki replied by going into Smoke Bomb mode, blinding Equis and allowing Black Star to make some distance. When the smoke cleared, Black Star was nowhere to be seen. Equis looked left and right, somewhat confused, then said, "Clever trick, boy. But running away won't keep you safe." Then he noticed the blood dripping from above, and when he looked up he saw Black Star high up in the air, a blade with a dark blade in his hand, and a huge, triumphant grin on his face.

"Come now, child, surely you can't think you've….what?" he said, beginning with confidence then changing to shock as thin shadows quickly spread around him and constrict him, his arms pinned to his sides. And when he looked, he found that the shadows went all the way up to Black Star, who had them gripped tightly in his free hand.

"HERE I COME, X! YAAAAAA-" he pulled on the shadows, pulling himself down at breakneck speed, while simultaneously lifting Equis up toward him.

"HOOOOOOOOO!" he finished, slashing through Equis with the speed of lightning, landing in a crouch where Equis was standing moments before. At almost the exact same time, Equis landed not five feet away, bloodied and beaten, but still alive. Black Star stood and turned, looking down on his broken down opponent.

"Hope you enjoyed that move. I like to call it, "Black Stars Magnificent Falling God Strike." Black Star said cockily, the shadows receding as Tsubaki reverted to human form. She looked at the man lying on the ground.

"Black Star…I think you might have overdone it a little…I think he's dead."

"Well that's what we wanted, wasn't it?"

"Actually…it would make me feel better if you…gah…didn't say I was dead just yet, children…" Equis muttered as he forced himself to his feet, the tip of his blade hanging low at his side, touching the ground. His cloak was slashed diagonally from his left shoulder down, showing what looked like a white tee-shirt, now drenched in blood, like his cloak. Amazingly, his hood was still sitting atop his head, but his smile was replaced with a grimace of pain…or was it anger?

"You missed, and hit nothing vital, thankfully. But still, I gotta say kid…that hurt like hell." then, he raised his blade and stood ready to continue fighting.

"Mr. Equis…" Tsubaki said quietly, noticing the blood pooling around him, "The fight is over…"

"No way kid," he said, his formal way of speaking now abandoned, "This thing…ain't over…until one of us is dead, got it…?" Then, he took two quick steps forward, fell to his knees, and let his blade clatter to the floor, his breathing heavy and labored. Black Star muttered, "Tsubaki, Enchanted Sword mode."

"What?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Just do it." Black Star replied, his voice dark. Tsubaki stared at her Meister in disbelief, but did as he asked. With sword in hand, he stepped up to Equis, and pulled off his hood, showing a young man of maybe 16. His eyes were closed in defeat, his expression emotionless. His hair, which was black and held back in a ponytail, was wet with blood. He knew his fate. Black Star held his blade to his neck, his own expression as blank and emotionless as his opponents.

"I am defeated…I have failed my mistress…and now I await final judgment. End me."

Black Star stood quiet, but didn't move his blade. He remembered his first battle with Mifune, how he had expected the same.

"You're not the only samurai I've battled, X," Black Star began, his voice even, "I know what you expect me to do, but I'm not going to. I didn't then…I won't now." Then he pulled his blade away and took a few steps past his opponent. As he did, Equis' eyes snapped open, hazel gems that now shone with oncoming tears. He turned slowly, but the expression on his face was one of near pure anger.

"Don't think that letting me live here will help you…*cough*…you're going to die…just like the other two…" Black Star turned to him, but snapped his head straight back to the open door that Equis had come through when he heard a familiar voice echo nearby, "NOOOO!"

"That was…!" cried Tsubaki, and Black Star moved instantly, dashing through halls of crystal, following the voice that continued to cry out, "No….no no no…" Behind him, Equis grinned again and muttered to himself, "Told…you…" before he collapsed and lost consciousness.

Soul sat with Maka's head in his lap. There was blood everywhere. _"That was a terrible trick…using the crystals in here…that bitch…that BITCH…"_ he looked up angrily, tears in his red eyes, and yelled, "YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" He moved to stand, but Maka moved her hand to his and said weakly, "No…I…I'll be fine…Soul…" he looked down at her and saw that there were tears in her green eyes, "Just…stay here…" she put a hand up to her partners cheek for a moment, "I…I lo…" then her hand slipped from his cheek and landed in a pool of her blood. Her fingers had blood on them beforehand, and had left five streaks of blood.

"Maka…? Maka! Wake up!" he said, shaking her lightly. The Shining Witch merely speculated, her crystals still floating ominously above her, the glow of the moon still bright and dangerous within them. Then, the Witch smirked and said, "Oh…how cute…young love," then she thought of Erik and her smirk left her.

"You humans are all the same…believing in this thing called 'love.' I don't understand it."

She thought again of Erik, then thought, _"Or do I? What does the toy mean to me…other than an experiment…hmmm…."_

"Maybe you should figure it out…you heartless murderer…" Soul said, his voice thick and hoarse as he fought back tears.

"Oh, stop. She's still breathing, isn't she? I told you, though, that you would love my Magic Laser Show," she retorted, chuckling a bit. It was then that Black Star burst into the room, breaking down yet another steel door.

"SOUL! WHAT'S….oh my god…" Black Star stopped in his tracks. Tsubaki instantly transformed and fell to her knees beside Soul, her hands shaking at the sight of her friend.

"It's getting a bit crowded for me…bye kiddies!" said the Witch, disappearing in a flash of light, leaving the children with their injured comrade.

"Maka…" whispered Soul, holding her close to his face and whispering in her ear, "Maka…please…wake up…please…I love you…please…"

"Whispering in her ear won't save her now," said Black Star, all seriousness, "We need to get her back to the Academy, now."

"I agree, Black Star," they heard someone say from behind them. When they turned, they saw Stein, standing with Spirit, whose expression was one of sheer terror.

"What happened…to my little girl?" he asked quietly, to which Stein answered quietly, "We can learn all that later. Our mission was to assist them if the Witch proved to be too much to handle. It seems we're a little late, we need to hurry." At this, Stein bent down to pick her up, but Soul wouldn't release her, and instead said, "I'll carry her…this is all my fault…"

_"Mark my words….you evil bitch…no…you WITCH…your soul will be mine…"_

**And there you have it. Hope you enjoyed. Please review, so that I can continue to write these things. As an afterword, I am sorry about the end of this chapter. It's a little hurried because I kinda wanted to get it done.**

**Er: You can't rush perfection, you know.**

**Shut up.**

**Er: You can't shut up what is essentially you, you know.**

**Hmmm…okay.**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be up eventually, so please review and enjoy! :D**


	13. Enter Sarah! A Haunting Melody?

_Seven Days Later_

Soul stepped solemnly out of the infirmary and stuck his hands deep in his pockets, his face blank. If anyone said anything as he walked by, he ignored it.

_"It's my fault…I didn't protect her…I didn't do anything…I'm trash…"_ he thought, visions of what happened that night flashing before his eyes.

-A flash of light, the splattering of blood and the Witches laugh were what Soul remembered most clearly as Maka fell to the ground. Soul clattered to the ground and transformed immediately and sank to his knees beside her, lifting her up and looking her in the eye.

"No…NO!" he cried, looking at the places she had been injured; her right shoulder had been hit by…whatever it was Lilith had done, ripping the fabric and exposing the skin, as well as holes in other places all around her body, each staining her clothes with blood. It was a gruesome sight, and one that Soul would remember for the rest of his life.-

Soul continued to walk through the halls of the Academy, lost in his thoughts. So engrossed in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice the light caramel colored hand catch his arm. He did notice when his hand came out of his pocket as he walked, and when he looked back he saw a familiar face.

She was kind of short, with caramel colored skin and eyes dark as chocolate. She wore a long, white sleeved shirt, a purple sweater-vest, and a short plaid skirt, the red squares replaced with purple. Her long, obsidian hair was hanging loose, some locks hanging over her shoulder. She had a very concerned, but somewhat happy look on her face, as if seeing him had just lifted her spirits.

"Hey Soul…long time no see," she said, her voice quiet.

"Hey…Sarah," Soul replied glumly, "Haven't seen you in a while, where'd you go?" She laughed and flipped the hair on her shoulder behind her, then said, "Oh, yeah…well, I just wanted to get away for a little while…figure some things out."

[The sound of a lone piano, playing slow, almost lazily, the melody forlorn]

"What's wrong Soul…?" she asked, looking him in the eye, moving with him as he turned away.

He didn't speak for a moment, and then said, "I take it you haven't heard what's happened to your cousin, huh? I can't see how you would know, either way…" At once Sarah was holding him by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes, her eyes burning, "What happened?" Soul couldn't look Sarah in the eye as he explained the horror of that night, just a week ago. A week that felt like years. Sarah went quiet and let her arms drop, her head drooping. Quietly, she asked, "Who did it…?" Soul could barely let the name pass his lips, and he said it so quiet, and with so much hatred, that Sarah actually felt a small stab of fear.

"The Shining Witch, Lilith."

Soul looked Sarah in the eye then, and noticed that they had turned violet, but she quickly blinked and shook her head, her eyes returning to their normal color, then said, "I'm going to go see her, if she's awake…I'll see you later…Soul." As he watched her walk away, Soul once more returned to his gloomy thoughts, every step he took seeming to drag him farther down into what he knew would be a long and very uncool depression. _"Great…"_

Sarahstepped into the infirmary and closed the door quietly behind her. She hesitated with turning around; she knew that she didn't want to see the state of her cousin, just by the sound of her soul.

[The sound of a bird chirping, but something is off, as if the bird were singing its last melody. A Requiem.]

Still, despite her hesitation, she still turned and walked to the bedside, taking the seat she was sure Soul had been sitting in not long ago. And lying in the bed was Maka Albarn, hooked up to a heart monitor, an IV in her arm, and a respirator over her mouth. All in all, she was in a sorry state of affairs. Just the sight of her made Sarah tear up a little, but she wiped it away and her feeling of sadness was replaced with anger. No…not anger. Rage…fury…the likes of which not even hellfire could match. She put her hand on Makas and noticed how pale she was, even more so than she was normally. _"How much time…?"_

Sarah was startled when she felt Maka grab her hand for a moment, then let go. When she looked up to her, Maka was looking her in the eye. She looked weak, but she had a smile on her face, and her eyes were shining, as if she had heard Sarahs thoughts and said, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hi, Sarah. We haven't heard from you in a while. Where have you been?" Maka asked, her voice small but still strong. Sarah admired her for that.

"Oh, well, I've been here and there…trying to figure things out." Sarah replied, running her fingers through her wavy hair.

They talked for what felt like just a few minutes, but when Sarah looked up at the wall clock (a novelty one shaped like Lord Death, the clock face on his chest, with one hand pointed up as if he were saying something wise, which acted double as the pendulum) said it was 5:30. She had returned to the Academy at 3:00.

"Wow, we've been talking for a long time!" she exclaimed, laughing a little as she did so. Maka joined in on this, a weak laugh, but a laugh nonetheless, until finally she said, "Yeah, time flies when you're having fun, huh?" They looked each other in the eye for a moment, Sarah paying special notice to the dark circles under her eyes. Finally, Sarah said, "Well, you need rest, Maka. I'll come back tomorrow, okay?" Maka looked a little down for a moment, but smiled and said, "Yeah, that sounds great," then she yawned and said, "I think I'll have to agree with that resting idea."

As Sarah left the room, she heard Makas soul once more, and smiled.

[The birds song was uplifted, as if it had been given new life.]

However, as she walked away, she heard a different wavelength, one that scared her a little, but one that Kikami gleefully chuckled at and said, _"Whoever that is…I want to meet them as soon as possible…"_ Again, Sarah shook her head and focused on the wavelength.

[It was a haunting melody, played by a saxophone, tenor to be precise. It was jazzy, and alternated rhythm almost sporadically: quick, slow, hot, cold. However, despite the constantly changing key, it never stayed out of a minor key for long. One moment, it was in G minor, then it fell to Bb minor, then it was uplifted to A Major, then fell back down to G minor, and so on and so forth. And throughout the song, the music was, as mentioned before, haunting, as if there was something dark influencing the melody.]

Sarah decided that she was going to find the owner of this soul, because she knew, deep down, that there was something very wrong with this wavelength, and if need be, she would do whatever it took to stop it. She had a quick thought that maybe it was the Witch Lilith, but dismissed that. Witches had a more sinister melody, and this soul, dark as it seemed, it just didn't feel as evil…it was definitely human. With these thoughts, she rushed through the halls, walking to the exit of the Academy, following this haunting music to its source.

**Sorry this one is kinda short, I'm still getting used to working with Sarah.**

**Sa: You did fine! My authoress said so!**

**Er: I notice that the spotlight was on her the whole time…**

**Sa: Deal with it.:p**

**Anyway, I'll be posting another chapter shortly, but I'm keeping this its own chapter just for the little transition. I promise it'll be a little longer, promise!**


	14. Follow that Wavelength! A New Friend?

**Mi:…h…hello…everyone…Erik and the others…aren't here right now. So….I'll just start today, like I did earlier, okay? *gulp* A sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

Erik lay on his back, basking in the desert sun. Though normally it would be unbearable, Erik had been able to find a nice little oasis, and the cool water from the spring did plenty to alleviate the heat.

"Haah…" he sighed, his coat, a long black duster he had been bought by Kid as a gift for saving Patti and Liz, sat nearby. Along with the coat, he was given extra money to buy whatever else he would need, much to Eriks dismay. He didn't need, nor did he want, any of this gratefulness. One way or the other, he still used it to buy his current wardrobe: a white tee-shirt with a large gray logo that, not surprisingly, was in the shape of Deaths mask. It took up a good portion of the left part of the shirt, and went over the shoulder a little. Along with the shirt he wore a pair of black jeans (Liz and Patti had suggested skinnies, which he refused) and a pair of black combat boots, the boots sitting next to the coat. Erik yawned and closed his eyes as a single cloud covered the ever laughing sun. As it the shadow of the cloud descended over him, he began to enter the dark room where his soul was housed. He had decided to give it a name: The Inner Chamber. After a moment of pure darkness his soul appeared, still as pure blue as always. _"No…"_ he thought, _"Not quite as pure."_ He noticed that the crack in it had grown a little bigger…not a good sign.

"No, not a good sign at all," he heard a voice say, and looked up to see none other than Dracula.

"How do you get into the Chamber, anyway?" asked Erik, looking the man in his crimson eyes, noticing the way his elongated canines glinting maliciously in the light of Eriks soul. He chuckled darkly and said, "We are connected, my friend."

"My only connection with you is Lilith, vampire," replied Erik, deciding that if there were any vampires, then this man would undoubtedly be one.

"Ah, but that is where you're wrong, friend. Our connection lies deep down...down to our very souls. You know what I'm talking about…" he smiled widely, his teeth shining, "The Dark Wavelength."

Eriks eyes went wide at the mention of it, then he said, "Yeah…yeah I know what you're talking about."

_Three Days Ago_

"Erik….I…I need to tell you about something…" asked Minora quietly. She never really liked talking to anyone, but had gotten used to talking to Erik, and Tsubaki, for some reason. Maybe it was because they were both kind of timid. She was wearing a tee-shirt a lot like Eriks new shirt. However, the fabric was black, the skull mask logo was white, and it was on her back, rather than on her chest. Other than the shirt, she wore plain white skirt that reached down to her knees, and a pair of sandals.

"Wow, Minora, you never have to talk about anything, this must be important!" he said, teasing. She laughed nervously and said, "Well, it is important, so I think you should listen!" She couldn't explain it, but she was always more confident when she was around Erik. Well…maybe she did. After a moment of silence, she said, "Lord Death…told me to teach you about the darkness within you…and how to hold it back…"

"What darkness? I've turned my soul around. I've been doing good lately, too," he said, feeling somewhat proud that he was able to fix his soul.

Minora was aghast, and said, "Don't tell me you don't feel it! I know you do…" she got quiet, "I see it in your eyes…I feel it in your soul…a dark cloud that hangs over your soul….the Dark Wavelength." Erik was surprised at her outburst. Granted, it had only been three days, and he knew how she felt (she made it obvious) but he didn't think she would yell at him like that, "Easy…it's okay I know what you're talking about," he remembered the crack on his soul, "What do you need to teach me?" And that was when Minora taught him the Dark Suppression technique, one she had mastered after years of being the captive of Count Dracula. "Without it…" she had said, "My soul would have become a Dark Soul a long time ago…"

_Present_

"Yes," said the Count, "I'm sure you were told all about the Dark Wavelength from Minora. She would know all about it, seeing how long she was under my…" he licked his lips, "guidance."

Erik felt anger build up in him…and felt the Dark Wavelength react to it. He felt its power, almost infinitely vast…and infinitely evil. He watched as the crack spread a little more, and forced himself to pull his anger back. _ "It won't do to let the Dark Wavelength get a hold of me."_

"Indeed it wouldn't." Dracula said, answering his thought.

"Get out of my head, and get away from my soul," replied Erik, no longer looking at the man, who laughed and said, "I will always be near to your soul. Just try to keep your soul intact until we meet once more…face to face." Then he was gone, and Erik was left alone. When he opened his eyes, he was lying in the oasis. "I guess I should go back to Death City…"

The melody Sarah could hear wasn't in Death City, but it was somewhere close. And it was coming closer, she could feel it. So, she wandered around Death City, meeting up with old friends, meeting some of the new one star Meisters and Weapons, and of course visiting Professor Stein in his lab. (Crying Papa Stein and tackle hugging him when he answered the door) Then, as she was walking through the town, she heard another strange wavelength, not far away.

[It sounded like someone was singing, but it was a song full of pain. However, joined in the pain was something that sounded hopeful. Like the other wavelength, this one also had a haunting melody, as if influenced by darkness.]

Fortunately for her, the source of this new song was actually fairly close, coming from somewhere in Death City. Now all she had to do was find it. She followed the melody all over the city, the person it belonged to seeming to just roam the streets randomly. At one point she even passed by ChupaCabras in her search. It wasn't until she came back to the gates of the DWMA that she finally found the source: a girl, older than she was, with long black hair and pale skin. She was wearing a black tee shirt with a white skull on the back. At first, Sarah had the feeling she was looking at Lord Death, but she knew better than that. The girl turned and looked at Sarah with wide eyes and said, "Who…who are you?"

_"She isn't evil..."_ thought Sarah, somewhat confused, _"I wonder why her soul wavelength sounds like that…" _

"Hi," Sarah said sweetly, trying to at look and sound as friendly as possible, "My name is Sarah Albarn! What's your name?" The girl merely shied away a little more and said, "You've been following me all day…why?" Sarah was taken aback for a moment, but was understanding. She knew how hard it could be to trust people. She pushed backs thoughts of her elder brother, William, and said, "You had an interesting wavelength, so I decided to look into it. I'm sorry if I scared you, I really didn't mean to. I won't hurt you I promise…won't you please tell me your name?" She pouted a little and tried to look as innocent as possible, which finally won the girl when she said, "My…my name is Minora…nice to meet you." Minora extended a hand to shake and, once done with that, she withdrew it quickly, wrapping her arms around her midsection as if she were holding herself in. This action, paired with the nervous look in her pale green eyes, reminded Sarah of a certain pink haired boy she knew.

There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Minora finally attempted to make some kind of conversation, "So…you said your last name was Albarn…like Maka Albarn?" Sarah looked Minora in the eye and said, "Oh, so you know my cousin?"

"No…no not really, but my Meister Erik says she's one of the more decent people at the Academy…and…and he says that she and the others are probably the only people he'd be able to trust here…"

"The others?" Sarah asked, wondering if she meant Soul (Kikami mutters "kun" at the end of this) and the others.

"Someone named Soul-Eater Evans…a..and Black Star…and Death the Kid…and" she said, stopping when Sarah giggled and said, "Yeah, I know who you mean now. Are you a new student here? What kind of Weapon are you?"

"I'm…what was it the man with the screw said…a Demon Gauntlet…yeah…that's it." Minora replied shakily, still obviously nervous about talking to Sarah. Sarah smiled and stayed patient with the fearful girl, finding it kind of cute that she could be so scared. Sarah gave her a somewhat confused look when she said Demon Gauntlet, but she didn't question it. She supposed she would see it soon enough.

"That's really cool. Hey, do you like anime?" Sarah asked, putting her arm around the girls' shoulders and walking with her, trying to help her relax. She looked way too tense. As they walked, they talked about all sorts of things: anime (Sarah was very enthusiastic, even though Minora didn't really know what she was talking about) life at the DWMA, and many other things. Finally, they came to a stop, having walked all around Death City (for the second time) in front of an apartment building, the same one Soul and Maka lived in.

"Well, this is me. I'm renting out an apartment here for a little while before I figure out exactly what I'm going to do. It's been about a year since I've been back to I have to get things back in order," Sarah said as they approached her door on the top floor. Minora, having become more comfortable with Sarah, said, "This place is nice…I wish Erik and I had a place like this?" Sarah looked at Minora for a moment then said, "Well, where do you guys stay?" to which Minora replied, "Well, Erik and I just sleep in one of the classes at the Academy. I don't think anyone notices," she blushed then and said, "even though we only have one blanket and pillow, (she didn't mention how Erik had taken them from the infirmary when they had gotten out) he always gives them to me...he sits against the wall and he never falls asleep until he's sure I am..." Sarah was looking at Minora confused for a moment, and when Minora noticed she said, "It's not like I'm complaining about it…" she blushed brighter, which was quite a feat seeing as how she was already beet red, "I'm very grateful for all the kind things he does…" Sarah shook her head and said, "Hm…I'm sure he's a wonderful Meister," then, more mischievously she said, "And I can tell you think he's a wonderful Meister, too." Minora looked shocked (her blush deepened, defying all possibility) when Sarah smirked and gave her a wink. At this, Minora turned and began to walk down the stairs, saying, "I…I should probably get going…it was nice meeting you…"

"No no no, I can't just let you sleep in a classroom! What kind of friend would I be?" Sarah laughed, gently grabbing Minoras arm and ignoring Kikami as she whispered, _"A good friend minds her business, and we both know why you chose this apartment complex…heehee."_

Minora looked at her newfound friend and said, "No…I really don't think I could intrude…and Erik will probably be waiting for me…" to which Sarah replied, "It's no problem, really. You can sleep in the extra bedroom and Erik can have the couch! It'll be like a slumber party!"

_"Don't let them stay here, Sarah. After all, how will you get Soul-kun with a whole bunch of people in your apartment?"_

After about half an hour of convincing, Minora finally agreed to stay with her, if only for the night. And together, they went to the classroom that Erik had deemed livable, and Sarah left a note for Erik to find,

"Dear Erik,  
I stole Minora, and we're going to my apartment, where she will be staying from now on. If you want to see her, come to the apartment building on the map below, room number 312. That is, if you would rather sleep in a **bed** rather than classroom.

Hope to meet you soon,  
Sarah Albarn."

Erik finally made it back to the Academy at around 8:00 that evening, the moon high in the sky when he came up to the door to the classroom he had been calling "home" since he had come to the DWMA. The moonlight filtering in through the window revealed a piece of paper taped to the door. He ripped it from the door and read it quickly.

"Hope to meet you soon," he muttered, finishing the note, "Sarah Albarn." At the bottom he saw a crudely drawn roadmap, with a circle drawn around where the building was supposed to be.

"Hmmph…" he said, crumpling the paper and letting it drop to the floor, "Albarn, huh? Well, at least I know she's okay. Might as well go see what this girl is like."

_Around 9:00 that night_

Sarah and Minora were talking over tea when she heard it, the haunting melody coming from that strange wavelength. And it was close. She looked at the door, the over to Minora, who was now looking at Sarah with a worried look on her face.

"What's the matter, Sarah?" she asked, the fear and anxiety she had felt for this new person almost completely gone with their quickly growing friendship, and he first friend she'd ever actually made. Sarah stood and went to the door and said, "Stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm just going to check something," she turned and gave Minora her best smile before closing the door and immediately charging for the stairs, knowing the elevator would take too long. As she made it outside, she heard Kikami giggle maniacally and say, _"Goodie goodie, time for some fun!"_

**Mi: *looks around nervously* I wonder where they are….**

**Sa: Ah, don't worry about it, I'll just talk for them! Thanks for reading, I hope you all liked it! The author should be back next time, so be sure to check back!**


	15. Sarah Vs Erik! Clash of Souls?

**Announcer: Here it is ladies and gentleman! A battle for supremacy between two epic combatants! Who will come out victorious? *walks to Sarah* In this corner, weighing in at…**

**Sa: *puts hand over announcers mouth* Ah…hehe…you don't need to know that.**

**An: Er…right…anyways ladies and gentleman, I give you SARAH ALBARN!**

**Audience: RAAAAAAWWWWRRRSSSS!**

**An: *walks to Erik* And in this corner, weighing in at 150 pounds, the ever mysterious ERIK ALTEZIO!**

**Au: RAAAAAAAWWWWWRRRSSSS!**

**Er: Lets go, little girl!**

**Sa: *eyes flash to purple* YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, ALTEZIO!**

**Er:*jaw drops* guuh….all….all right…**

***bell rings* Uh…good luck Erik…you mind starting us off before she kills you?**

**Er: A little busy! *dodge***

**Sa: STAY STILL! YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF A GIRL ARE YOU?**

**An: And here's the cousin of one of our combatants, Maka Albarn, what have you got to say ma'am?**

**Ma: GIVE HIM A MAKA…er…SARAH CHOP! NO MERCY NO MERCY NO MERCY! Oh, and a sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

Erik walked slowly down the street, not especially thrilled that Minora was with this mystery girl, Sarah. Sure, she was related to Maka somehow, at least he assumed so, but it was still strange that she would just up and steal his partner.

_ "It's not all bad. At least she, and you, will be sleeping in some comfort now,"_ he thought to himself, sticking his hands deep in the pockets of his duster as he walked lazily down the street. That was, of course, until he reached the apartment building. There were a few lights on in some of the rooms, but most of them were dark. One of the streetlamps flickered on and off every once in a while, covering part of the street in darkness. Off…darkness…on….light…off…darkness…on….a girl?

"Who are you?" the girl asked harshly. She stepped out from under the flickering light and into the paler light coming from the moon, which, mixed in with her tan skin, did hid most of her other features from him. All he knew was that she was a tan, or perhaps a more caramel colored, girl with black hair. _"Must not be anyone I know, or anyone that anyone I know would know."_

With this thought in his mind, he said, "I could ask the same from you. I'm looking for someone, and I'd appreciate if you got out of my way." The way he delivered this comment was casual, as if he were having a conversation with a friend, but with dark undertones, as if he had actually said, "Get out of my way, bitch, before I take you out like so much garbage." This did not go unnoticed.

"It would be better for your health if you were more polite to strangers, pal," she replied, her own threat only subtly veiled, as if she were really saying, "Give me the chance and I'll wipe the floor with you, dickhead," and Erik could tell right away: she was pissed. He felt a change in her wavelength and knew she was going to attack. In response, he passed his own wavelength through his body, focusing in on his arms and legs. This was something he had learned to do while he was learning to use the Soul Ripper.

_Sarah's POV_

Sarah heard the change in the boy's wavelength, and knew for certain that this was the wavelength she had felt earlier, the one with the haunting melody. She allowed her wavelength to go along her arms and took a fighting stance, her wavelength sharpening as she did so. _"Let's see how he likes my Soul Slash…along with the little added surprise I put in there,"_ she thought, to which she heard Kikami reply, _"Yes, lets. But don't cut him up too much. At least not that cute face of his heeheeheehee."_

Sarah ignored the voice in her head and began her attack, charging straight for her opponent.

Erik's_ POV_

The girl struck quickly, and without any tells at all. Her face was set in an almost emotionless glare as she struck. And the most confusing part was how she attacked using several different styles of martial arts at once, mixing and matching them with near deadly efficiency. After a while, Erik wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to keep up with her speed. And she knew it, he could tell. Especially when one of her attacks, a chop meant for his neck, barely connected with his cheek. He felt her wavelength before he noticed what it did. He took a jump back, and then noticed the blood on his cheek.

"Gotcha," she said, a smile spreading on her lips. Erik scowled and said, "Lucky shot. Get ready for this!" then he dashed, his left arm saturated with his wavelength, the Soul Ripper at the ready.

_Crack_

Erik felt his wavelength waver, and then felt it become stronger. He knew what was happening.

_Crack_

His eyes darkened, turning from ice blue to a dark red, and he felt the Dark Wavelength begin to take control. It had happened before when he had used the Soul Ripper in practice. Then, he had used the Dark Suppression technique Minora had taught him to fight it back. But right now, he couldn't do that. He didn't have the time. He'd have to end this quick, before the Dark Wavelength could take him.

_Sarah's POV_

Sarah watched as the boy made what she saw as a desperate charge, his left hand held to his side in a claw-like fashion. His soul wavelength had changed drastically, the melody being drowned out by what seemed to sound like random noise. At least it did to her.

_"Sarah…Sarah do____you hear that melody? Oh my oh my oh my do you __**hear **__Sarah? So much dissonance! I LOVE IT! Let me have his soul please please please please PLEASE!"_ Kikami cried, attempting to take over. Sarah fought her back and slashed the air, allowing her Soul Slash to continue moving, creating a blade of energy that flew at her opponent with blinding speed. He didn't know what hit him.

"Gah…" he said as the blade cut into his shoulder, spilling fresh blood onto the street.

"Heh…gotcha again. This really can't be all you've got, can it? I expected more from someone with a wavelength that sounded like yours."

In the moonlight, while he gripped his shoulder, she saw something that put fear in her heart. He looked up, and he was smiling, but it was an unnatural smile, large and toothy. She saw that his canines had become elongated, and his eyes, which she had noticed to be an icy blue color before, had darkened and become red, like the color of blood. She had to admit, she liked Souls eyes much, much more.

"All I've got?" he asked, his voice noticeably darker, dripping with malice, "I've only just begun, little girl! Time to get serious!"

_Erik's POV_

"_Grr….I can't stop it…"_ thought Erik as he screamed something about getting serious. The Dark Wavelength was messing with him now, making him give in to his darker instincts, the ones he thought he had abandoned long ago. But with all the power he could feel coursing through him now, he couldn't deny: it felt very, very good. _"I have to pull it back before it's too late."_

"Here I come!" Erik cried, despite how he felt and what he knew he had to do. He rushed his opponent, who seemed frozen in fear, but only for a moment. She slashed the air again, and once more Erik was hit by an unseen force. He continued running, ignoring the new gash on his other shoulder, his left hand pulsing with the power of the Dark Wavelength, which was slowly working its way into his soul.

_"Use the Dark Perception to avoid that attack, you fool," _he heard Dracula in his mind. Erik obeyed, and muttered, "Dark Perception." He felt the Dark Wavelength shift, moving partially to his eyes, changing the way he saw things. He could still see the girl, somewhat, but she had become more of a blurry outline. At the center of this outline was a blue soul, floating on its own. At least that's what he thought at first. The longer he looked, the more he began to notice another soul, this one a violet color. _"Two souls…hmmm…"_ he thought. More importantly, though, he noticed how her soul wavelength moved through her body, how it focused in on her arms and thinned out in a line, like a blade. Erik had an idea that was how she did it, but he couldn't have been entirely sure until now. She slashed again, this time horizontally, an attack meant to slice across his gut, and he could see the sharpened wavelength fly at him. He leapt, dodging the attack and flying high into the air, arm cocked back to strike. He knew his trajectory would put him maybe a foot in front of his opponent, as he had planned. The girl must've known this, because she immediately stepped up her attack, the violet soul within her reacting more with each strike, sending its own power into the slashes. Erik twisted and turned in the air, the slashes catching the trailing ends of his duster, but never making contact with him. When he landed, ducking down on one knee, she had both hands at his throat, while he put his hand in her gut. And in that moment, both combatants knew that if one died, they both would.

Erik felt hands on his shoulders, and he noticed the girl's eyes, which were violet at the moment, were focused on something behind him. Her face looked somewhat shocked. Intrigued, Erik took a look over his shoulder.

"I thought I told you to stay inside, Minora-chan. It's not safe out here," said the girl, her voice beginning to return to normal as her eyes darkened back to a chocolate brown color. Minora turned her head a little and said, "Well…I…I heard a bunch of noise outside…and when I looked out the window you were fighting someone….besides," she said, becoming somewhat more courageous, and a little smirk appeared on her shy face, "I'm a Weapon, Sarah, and I think if I can handle being around Master….I mean…uh…Count Dracula…then I can handle a little fight in the street." She leaned down and wrapped her arms around his chest and leaning her head on his shoulder, and then said, "Oh, and I want you to meet Erik, my Meister." If Sarah had a shocked look on her face before, it was completely aghast now, as her jaw dropped.

"Oh…uh…yeah so…nice to meet you Erik. I'm Sarah. Sarah Albarn? I left that note…sorry for attacking you and stuff…I hope you aren't wounded too badly" she replied, blushing a bit as she took her arms away from his throat and scratched the back of her head. _"Wow, isn't this just a great big mess…"_

Erik would have replied, but he knew with the Dark Wavelength running rampant in his body, he would undoubtedly say something rude. Minora replied for him, saying, "Under normal circumstances…I'm sure he would greet you back. He's such a gentleman, you know…" she blushed, and let him go, realizing she been holding him, wondering what could have possibly possessed her to do something so forward. Then she said, "Right now, his soul is being attacked by the Dark Wavelength."

"Dark Wavelength?"

"Yes…" she said, her face dropping, "if he doesn't use the technique I am teaching him soon, it will completely take over his mind and body….so you understand if we…you know…talk about it later?"

"Oh, yeah no it's fine, c'mon lets go inside."

Five minutes later, Erik was sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of Sarah's living room, his eyes closed and his hands resting on his knees.

_"Breathe in…breathe out…focus…"_ he thought as he entered the Inner Chamber. His soul was cracked even more than before, and he could see that it had darkened somewhat. All around him he felt the power of the Dark Wavelength, coursing through the Chamber and colliding with his soul, trying to turn it. And standing on the other side of his soul was Dracula, a smirk on his face.

"You sure like to live life on the edge, Erik. Then again I guess you can't control the Wavelength like my sweet Minora. Too bad for you I suppose. It shouldn't be long now."

Erik ignored him, and continued to concentrate, _"Breathe in…breathe out…"_ he thought, letting his negative emotions go, and focusing on bringing the darkness to a stop. When he was ready, he let his own wavelength spread through his body, calmly, with no hurry. His soul flashed as he did so, and he felt his wavelength come into contact with the darkness.

_"Breathe in…" _he thought, concentrating on his wavelength now, allowing it to match and neutralize the Dark Wavelength. This was the core of the Dark Suppression technique, Minora had told him. _"By matching the darkness,"_ she had told him, _"You will be able to take hold of it, and force it back, and keep it from swallowing your soul…."_

_"Breathe out…"_ he thought, and as he released his breath, he felt the Dark Wavelength slow…then finally stop altogether. When he looked up, Dracula was gone, and his soul was still blue as ever, only with a few more cracks. Still, he knew that the Dark Suppression wouldn't work forever, for either Minora or himself. They would need something more…

Minora was sitting in the guest bedroom with Sarah, both of them quiet. She had just explained the Dark Wavelength to her, and how it would eventually affect her and her partner. She was looking down and wrapping her arms around herself again.

"I…understand if you…h-hate me…now that you know what I am…" she said nervously, to which Sarah replied somewhat angrily, "What you are? Minora you're a human being!"

"No…."

"No! You are a person just like me, and you're my friend! Don't you ever say that you aren't!

"…." Minora begun to tear up, but it wasn't from the scolding. It was that she was touched…she had never had a friend before, beside when she became Eriks partner. And even then she had trouble trusting people, let alone a random person she met on the street.

Sarah was about to speak again, having noticed Minoras tears, but was interrupted when Erik stepped into the door, knocking softly on the open door as he did so, "Hey…it's done, and I'm fine, just thought I'd let you know before I passed out, Minora." Minora wiped at her face with the blanket on her bed and said, "O-Okay, Erik…sleep well…I'll see you in the morning?" This had become a ritual within the week they had been a team and living together: she always asked him if she would see him in the morning, to which he would always reply, "Of course. Where else would I be?" After he said that, she smiled and he left, taking a left in the hall, to which Sarah angrily said, "Uhm….that leads to my room, mister. You wanted to hang a right to the living room. You get the couch." Erik obeyed and did an about face, grumbling to himself as he did so. He knew that he and Sarah would get along oh-so well, and this was only the beginning. Meanwhile, Sarah said, "Well, I'm going to sleep, too. Goodnight Minora-chan," before she left and went to her own bedroom. Alone, Minora smiled, knowing that, despite battle between her newfound friend and her Meister, the day had been a fairly good one. _"I wonder what will happen tomorrow,"_ she thought as she settled into the warm blankets, her smile spreading a little more as her eyelids fluttered closed, and she slipped into unconsciousness, the last thing she saw in her mind's eye being a pair of ice blue eyes.

**An: And the winner is…SARAH ALBARN, with her deadly and efficient Sarah Chop!**

**Au: RAAAAAAAWWWWRSSSS!**

**Sa: That's what I thought, punk.**

**Er: *mumbles incoherently about "not beating up a girl"***

**Uh…well done Erik way to…uh…yeah. Anyway, hope you guys like this, sorry if you don't. REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! Anyway, I'll have another chapter up…at some point. So stay tuned, friends!**


	16. Lazy Saturday 1! Wake up, Apt 312!

**Okie dokie before I begin I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who's been reading, and I really do encourage you to review, it gives me life! Anyway, do you have anything else to add, Minora, Erik? **

**Mi:…**

**Er: *mumbles in sleep***

**Er…Sarah? Soul, Maka, anyone?**

**Sa: *shakes head* Nope!**

**So: Naaah, I'm cool.**

**Ma: Uhmm…..a sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body?**

…***sigh*…**

The first thing Erik saw when he woke up was a pair of baby blue eyes not five inches away from his face. He didn't flinch, and he didn't cry out in shock, as would have been expected, but instead said, "What…the hell are you doing, little kid?" The boy did not react quite as well, taking a hesitant step back, and then running off to another room. The last thing Erik saw of him was the boys red hair just visible over the couch in front of him.

"That," he heard Sarah say nearby, and when he looked he noticed she was standing nearby, stepping out of what he assumed was a kitchen by the apron she was wearing, "was my ototochan, Danny, and it would be better for your health if you were polite to him, thank you very much." Erik smirked and said, "My mistake, I guess. I'll have to apologize later," to which she replied, "Yeah, I'm not letting you leave the apartment until you do. Lucky for you it's Saturday, and we don't have to be at any classes today. Oh and why were you sleeping on the floor?" At this, Erik took a look back and forth, and at himself.

To his left was the door, leading out to the hall. To his right, a television, which was off at the moment. There was a pillow sitting a few feet in front of it, and it looked as if it was used often. _"Probably where the boy sits and watches his cartoons or something."_ As for himself, he was sitting with his back to the wall, his left leg pulled up a little, is right spread out casually before him. He had kept all but his coat and shoes on when he finally fell asleep. "What? I sleep more comfortably on the floor, preferably with my back against the wall. Got a problem with it?" he replied finally, glancing at her for a moment before forcing himself to his feet and stretching his arms to the sky, enjoying the _snap snap snap_ of his spine as it popped. "Haaah…that always feels good. That may be another reason I sleep on the floor heh…" he said, mostly to himself. Sarah just scoffed and said, "Yeah yeah, I'm surprised you can even move after the beating I gave you last night." Then she turned and walked back through the door to the kitchen. Erik glared after her and said, "We tied!" after her. He thought he heard her say something back, but it was muffled by the door and all he could hear was, "…up Minora." He assumed she wanted him to wake Minora up, so he casually made his way to the now closed door of the guest bedroom. _Knock knock knock._ No answer.

He opened the door quietly and looked in on his partner. She was laying on her side with her legs pulled up to her chest, one arm wrapped around her knees and her head resting on the other, her hand facing palm up, twitching every once in awhile as she dreamed. Her raven black hair was spread around her, some of it concealing her face, on which she had a faint smile. Erik couldn't help but smile himself. In all honesty, he only felt truly comfortable around her, strange as that was. The brief memory of her wrapping her arm around him last night passed through his mind, and he knew then that she must have felt the same. _"Two outcasts. That's what we are, really."_ He walked up to the bed and knelt beside her, moving the hair that was covering her face, and waking her in the process. As her eyes fluttered open and she saw Erik, her smile widened…until she realized that she was no longer sleeping. Her face reddened and she glanced down at herself, and then pulled the blankets a little higher. When Erik looked, he noticed that all she was wearing was a tee-shirt and…

"Ahhh!" she yelled, pushing him away and sitting bolt upright, holding the blanket up to her chin.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" he said, turning around, his own face red, "Sarah….she told me to come wake you up…I think…" Minora shook her head (as if Erik could see her) and said, "It's…it's alright Erik…I…I was just getting to wake up anyway…how are your…" she swallowed audibly, "your wounds." Erik shrugged and said, "Uh, I didn't notice, actually. I remember wrapping them before I went to sleep, but they don't hurt today."

"Let me see."

"I'm sorry?"

"I…I said let me see…" another swallow, "take your shirt off." Erik smiled, knowing he couldn't resist what he said next, "Oh, how forward of you, Minora. You must be getting awfully comfortable with me now." He was rewarded with a pillow hitting him in the back of the head, and she said, "T….that's not funny…just do it I need to see something…" Erik laughed and complied, pulling the shirt up over his head by the collar and working his arms out of the sleeves, then finally pulling it away completely, revealing the scars from his battle with Death and bandages around his arms and torso, where Sarah's attacks had landed. His blood had soaked through them. Slowly, he made the effort to unwrap them, starting with his shoulders, then his torso. When he was finished, Minora spoke up, her voice low and dark.

"It's starting…your body is healing at a faster rate than normal…the Dark Wavelength is taking over…the Dark Suppression isn't going to be enough…not for either of us…" Erik heard her begin to cry and turned, putting his shirt back on, and walked back beside the bed, where he knelt in front of her and said, "Don't cry over this, if anything this is good. It means I won't have new scars to show off," he pulled her into a brief hug and said, "I'm going to let you get dressed, and we'll have breakfast. I'm pretty sure Sarah is cooking…something."

Maybe twenty minutes later, the four residents of the little three bedroom apartment sat at the kitchen table with plates of steaming hot breakfast foods before them: eggs, bacon, sausage, and she even went made waffles and pancakes. It was safe to say that she had made a feast. _"Well…" _Erik thought, eyeing one of the blueberry pancakes, _"Maybe not those…they look a little…oozy…"_ While he was contemplating whether or not to eat the questionable pancakes, everyone else was digging in, and eating as if they hadn't eaten for days. Even Minora was helping herself to generous portions of bacon and eggs. Granted, he'd seen her eat before, and it was usually with much gusto, but not like this.

"Danny and I have been on traveling around the world for so long, we've never actually been able to relax and sit down to a real meal!" Sarah explained through a mouthful of eggs and sausage, her cheeks puffed out as if she were a chipmunk. Next to her the twelve year old Daniel emulated her, but his eyes never left Erik. He must have really scared him this morning, but he had already apologized…or tried to before the child could run away again. When Erik glanced over at Minora, he noticed that, even though she was devouring her food at a much faster rate than the others, she ate with better manners. It was actually a spectacular sight, watching as the food seemed to just melt away.

"Erik, aren't you going to eat?" asked Sarah, looking at his empty plate and the quickly vanishing piles of food. This comment snapped Erik out of his thoughts and began to grab his own breakfast, taking special notice at the uneaten pile of pancakes.

After breakfast, Sarah left with Minora, saying something about "getting her job back" and "buying a lolita outfit," both of which Erik neither knew, nor did he care about it. What he did care about was that she left him with the Danny. She poked her head in a few moments after she had left and said, "Oh, and Erik, I want you to stay here and look after Danny for me? We should be back in a few hours or so! Thanks bye!"

"What? No wai-" Erik started, but too late, she was gone, his Weapon partner with her. _"Son of a bitch!"_ he thought, glancing over at the boy from his spot on the couch. The little ginger glanced back at him, his big baby blues a little less scared of him now, but he still wouldn't speak. _"This is…going to be a very long day…guuuh…."_

**Alrighty hope you all liked this! Sorry if it's kinda short…or if there's no meat on this chapter, but I thought maybe they should take a little comedy break, you know, all this fighting can get…stale? Yeah stale. **

**Er: But I like to fight.**

**Sa: Me too!**

**Right right and you'll get your chance trust me. There are still many battles ahead.**


	17. Lazy Saturday 2! Erik the Babysitter?

**Alrighty hope you all liked this! Sorry if it's kinda short…or if there's no meat on this chapter, but I thought maybe they should take a little comedy break, you know, all this fighting can get…stale? Yeah stale. **

**Er: But I like to fight.**

**Sa: Me too!**

**Right right and you'll get your chance trust me. There are still many battles ahead.**

**Part two of "Wake up Apt. 312! Lazy Saturday? **

**Er: And I'm babysitting?**

**Da:…I'm not a baby.**

**Er:….**

**Da:…**

**Well…let's get on with it, shall we?**

**Er: Yes, indeed…**

**Da: A sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

Erik was looking at his duster, which was now adorned with two identical holes on the shoulders, which started from near the armpit and reached to the top of the shoulder. The cuts were clean and even with one another, and Erik had to admit that, even though she was trying to kill him, she had great aim. _"I should probably get this sewn up, though,"_ he thought, then the image of Steins lab coat, with all its stitching, flashed through his mind, and he decided against it. Besides, the identical slashes looked kind of cool…at least he thought so. As he folded it up (he liked the coat and didn't want it to get damaged any more than it was) he felt a presence behind him, and when he turned Daniel was standing behind him, looking up at him with big, curious eyes. Erik was relieved that he was no longer afraid…but the kid was staring to freak him out a little bit.

"Uh…hey Danny…is there something you needed?" Erik asked, eyeing the youth as he put his coat down on the back of the couch, noting with distaste how it slipped down to the floor.

"Oh, I don't need anything; I was just seeing what you were doing. When will ane-chan be back?" Danny asked, sitting on the pillow before the television and turning it on, flipping through the channels in a bored manner.

"Uhm…" Erik said, looking up at the clock on the wall, only mildly surprised that it was a Lord Death clock. (_"These things can't be that popular…"_) It was only noon…it had only been about an hour since Sarah and Minora had left. "Well, I don't know how long she'll be gone…a few hours maybe?"

"At her old job, before we left, she wouldn't be home until late at night. If she went to get her job back, then I doubt she'll be back until around 11:00…maybe midnight…maybe longer, if she's going to have Minora work there as well," the boy said matter-of-factly, stopping his incessant channel flipping when he found something decent to watch: cartoons. Erik looked at the boy and thought, _"All day….ALL day?"_ Erik, though normally confident, wasn't entirely sure if he could handle watching over the boy that long, but seeing as how he didn't have a choice, he plopped himself down on the couch and gazed tiredly at the glowing screen of the television. In a matter of minutes, his head was falling back…his eyelids drooping…until finally he drifted into a light sleep.

_The Inner Chamber_

Erik looked at his soul, covered almost entirely in cracks. The Dark Suppression was working, but he knew it wouldn't work for much longer.

"Then how does it work for Minora?" asked the familiar voice of the Count as he appeared on the opposite side of his soul, as he always did. In all honesty, Erik had begun to get used to this dark beings presence. _"He could even be of help one day,"_ Erik thought before he said, "I'm not sure. Maybe she's had more time to work on it. After all, wasn't it her only defense when she was with you?"

Dracula chuckled and said, "True, she had time to master that little skill, as annoying as it is, but it isn't the only thing that has kept her soul safe from the Dark Wavelength."

"What do you mean?"

"It's actually quite simple, really. Of all the souls in this world, hers is one of very few that has no evil within it. I thought I could taint her over time…but…no luck I suppose."

"And what is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"It means that, no matter how much of the Dark Wavelength comes into contact with her soul, it can never get a true hold of it, like it has with you…however that doesn't keep her from sometimes….losing herself in its power…" Dracula finished, leaning back against an unseen wall and closing his eyes, his teeth glinting in a crooked smile. Erik looked at his…what was he exactly? His nemesis? No, that seemed a little absurd. A monster?

"That one is fairly close," Dracula said, interrupting Eriks thoughts, "but I believe calling me a monster is somewhat rude. But don't think of me as your nemesis. Despite what the Witch has planned, I would consider myself more of a…mentor." Erik was taken aback for a moment, but regained his composure quickly and said, "How can someone who wants to kill me be my mentor, Dracula?"

Dracula didn't answer, but chuckled to himself once more and disappeared, sinking into the darkness outside the light of Erik's soul.

"Big jerk…I'll get you back. Wonder what he meant…" said Erik, feeling himself begin to awaken.

"Wonder what who meant?" he heard the young voice of Daniel, snapping him out of his sleep. He awoke for the second time to big baby blues inches away from his face.

"Danny…why are you in my face again?"

The boy took a few steps back and mumbled a half-hearted apology before repeating his question, "Wonder what who meant, Erik? You were talking in your sleep. Pretty much all of it was gibberish…except for that last part about wondering what someone meant."

_"Talking in my sleep now? Crap,"_ thought Erik, standing and stretching once more, noticing unhappily how his spine didn't crack at all. _"Stupid couch…should've slept on the floor."_ He looked up at the clock once more: 12:15. _"And I only slept for 15 minutes…gahhh…"_

"Erik, can I ask you a question?" asked Daniel as he followed Erik into the kitchen.

"Shoot."

"What are you?" The question struck him as odd, especially coming from a young child like Danny. Erik turned to the ginger youth and saw the boy was looking at him, his face set. He looked older than twelve when he was like this…it was surreal. _"And,"_ he thought, _"it reminds me of me a little bit. This kid must've had a dark past."_

"That's a strange question to ask, Danny." Erik began, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the tap, then sat at the table and glanced up at Danny, who still stood in the doorway, waiting for an answer.

"Well, I'm human." Erik answered after a quick drink of his water, to which Danny replied, "Humans don't have souls like you do. Are you like my ane?"

"No, I don't think so," answered Erik, taking yet another long drink from his glass, "why what's wrong with her?" Danny shook his head and said, "Nothing. But I can feel how your soul is different…why?" Erik looked the boy in the eye, blue meeting blue, and said, "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older. Go…play or something." At that, Danny stuck his tongue out and walked away. Minutes later, he heard the squeal of an electric guitar, but did nothing about it.

_"I wonder what Sarah and Minora are up to…"_

**Okay, sorry this one was all weird and grasping at straws, but I'm no good at…this kind of thing…meeeh. Anyway, as always, R&R please, and great fortune will come your way! :D**


	18. Lazy Saturday 3! Welcome to the Mall?

**Okay, sorry this one was all weird and grasping at straws, but I'm no good at…this kind of thing…meeeh. Anyway, as always, R&R please, and great fortune will come your way! :D**

**Okay, this chapter is apt to be kinda strange, but I think I can manage it. Props to webidolchiu94 for helping me with this idea, and I hope it works. If not….meh.**

**Mi: This chapter will have a lot of me in it…won't it?**

**Yep, you and Sarah.**

**Mi:….**

**What?**

**Mi:….**

…**.?**

**Mi: *defeated sigh* fine. A sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**

Against the timid young woman's will, Sarah dragged Minora through the Death City Mall, entering into several different shops, all of them filled to bursting with clothing. Some of it was tasteful and some of it…not so much. Like the number that Sarah was trying to convince her to wear.

"C'mon, I work at a cosplay café and this would look SOOOOO cute on you! At least try it on!" she said, holding the risqué article in Minora's face. Minora was bright red and shook her head, wringing her hands in front of her as she looked at the black and white costume in front of her.

"Minoooooorraaa!~ You have to have a costume to work there, and this maid outfit is just adorable!" Sarah insisted once more, attempting to push Minora into one of the dressing rooms, resisting with all her might, looking left and right for a way to escape. She found her chance when she saw spiky blue hair walk by outside the shop, and she knew it must've been that boy her Meister had talked to the other day. _"Well…"_ she thought, _"I guess talking wasn't exactly what had happened."_ She cringed at the thought of the obnoxious boy who had busted through the window seemingly looking for a fight….only to be pushed back out the window by a somewhat amused Erik. Then, Minora hadn't thought much about the boy, but now he was her escape route.

"Sarah-chan, isn't that Black Star? And who is that woman walking with him?" she said somewhat panicked, holding herself out of the dressing room by digging her heels into the floor and holding her hands on the doorframe while the ever persistent Sarah Albarn attempted to push her through. At the mention Black Star, however, she ceased, looking back behind her. A broad, mischievous smile spread across her lips, and she handed the outfit to Minora, the rushed out of the store saying, "I'll be right back, Minora-chan. Try that on while I'm gone, and I expect to see you in it when I get back!" to which Minora replied with several fake nods of enthusiasm, then putting the outfit on a random rack before following her friend.

"Heads up!" cried Sarah, who was already incredibly hyper before, as she rushed up behind Black Star, who had no idea what was going on. Before he could turn completely around she had him in a head lock, rubbing her knuckles into his skull. Tsubaki stood by and said, "It's good to see you again, Sarah-chan. Where have you been?"

"Oh, I just took Danny and traveled the world for a little while, no biggie," she answered casually, as if she were having a conversation over a cup of coffee instead of torturing a certain blue haired ninja. Tsubaki merely nodded in understanding Black Stars cries for assistance. It was then that Tsubaki noticed Minora standing next to her, as if she had come from nowhere.

"Oh, um…hello, miss? Are you a friend of Sarah-chan?"

"…um…" Minora started, trying to find the right words to say, but she was saved by Sarah who noticed her presence and stormed over to the two women, releasing Black Star so suddenly that he fell to the ground.

"Minora! Why aren't you wearing that outfit?"

"It…it didn't fit…" Minora said, blushing at both her lie and at her recollection of the skimpy costume.

"Well, let's go back in and find one that does!" she gasped and grabbed Minora by the arm, "Oooooh and I bet they have all sorts of things that would just be…so….so….adorable!" At this she begins to drag Minora back inside, but is once again saved by the blue haired boy when he says, "SARAH! Where have you been? Training so that you can beat me, huh? I KNEW IT! Good luck with that," he rubbed his nose as Sarah turned to face him, slowly and menacingly, "All the training in the world won't do you any good against a guy as big as I am." Sarah released Minoras arm and walked over to Black Star, he face set in a scowl. Despite the seemingly tense situation (Sarah was staring Black Star down with a burning glare) Minora smirked and walked back over to Tsubaki. Though she was still nervous, she was able to say, "Sorry about that…m…my name is…Minora…."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Tsubaki said back, somewhat timid herself, but not quite as much as Minora seemed to be. It was obvious that she wasn't used to big cities, and to her the mall must be like a giant city all on its own. Tsubaki looked over at her partner, who was very quickly losing his calm under the terrifying gaze of Sarah, who had still said nothing to the boy. Tsubaki turned her attention back to Minora when she asked, "So…what's your name?" to which Tsubaki answered, "Oh, I'm that boys, Black Star is his name, Weapon partner Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. It's a pleasure to meet you Minora." It was around this time that Sarah and Black Star had begun walking over, Black Star now sporting a new lump on top of his head, but with a big grin on his face. "It's nice to see you again, Sarah. I see you're still as powerful as ever. Still not as powerful as I am, but still." Then he looked up at Minora and said, "Hey I remember you! That day in the infirmary when I tried to attack Erik-san." This piqued Minoras interest, and she felt a change within her, something she had learned to accept a long time ago. Her eyes darkened a bit, becoming a dark green rather than their normal light green, and she said, "Of course I remember you as well…I should kill you forgoing after him."

After she said that, everyone's jaws dropped, taken completely by surprise. After a moment, Sarah said, "Minora…just calm down, okay? That was just creepy…" Black Star, on the other hand, said, "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try to kill a god."

"Black Star! Don't antagonize her…" said Sarah, hearing the change in Minoras wavelength at his exceedingly cocky words.

[The singing voice was quieter, being drowned out by chaotic sound, and the sound of a blazing fire.]

"The more I hear you talk the more I think of Excalibur. How is it that you can be more annoying than the most annoying being on the planet?" she said, smirking maniacally. Black Star scowled, but when he saw the look on her face he turned his face away and crossed his arms, saying nothing. At the mention of Excalibur, Sarah asked, "Oh, so you've met Excalibur, Minora? What did you think of him?" At this, Minora snapped out of her little trance and looked up in thought for a moment, then grimaced as the memory passed through her mind.

_Two Days Ago_

Erik and Minora walked through the cave that was said to house the legendary Holy Sword, Excalibur. After they had left the infirmary, Erik had come across a book in the library that mentioned something about a "Holy Sword." Wanting more information, Erik asked Death the Kid, who had grimaced at the very mention of the blade, but gave Erik the information nonetheless. Which was what lead him to this cave.

"E…Erik-kun…why are we looking for…a Holy Sword…am I not strong enough…?" Erik eyed his weapon partner as he walked beside her, now wading through knee deep water. "Now what would make you think something like that, Minora? After all without your help I wouldn't be able to fight back the power of the Dark Wavelength, right?" She blushed and nodded her head, saying, "I guess…" Taking another look at her, and noticing she was getting red in the face, he said, "It's amazing how you can still stand with all that blood going to your face, Minora. You might need to work on that." This only forced her to grow redder and cover her face as they came to a chamber with a small island in the middle of the water, light shining down on a brilliant sword with a golden hilt and a shining silver blade.

"That must be it," said Erik, stepping up on the island and pulling Minora up with him, then going to examine the blade, looking it over, noting the way the light played off of its surface. As a test, he grabbed the hilt and pulled, somewhat surprised at how easily it came from the ground.

"Is that all there is to it?" Erik asked himself, looking back at Minora, who was looking at the sword with uncertainty.

"I have to be honest, I expected a little more from—"

"FOOL!" he heard echo throughout the room, a man's voice from the sound of it. He glanced at the blade he now held loosely in his hand, then released it as it began to glow and float lazily into the air, "Welcome. Welcome to my cave young ones. Please forgive the belated salutations. I…am the Holy Sword Excalibur!" Then, the sword flashed with blinding light, causing Minora and Erik to shield their eyes. _"It can talk?"_ thought Erik as he raised his arm in front of his face. When the light finally dissipated, Erik and Minora opened their eyes, and found themselves face-to-face with Excalibur. All in all, it was not what either of them expected. Standing before them was a white, anthropomorphic being wearing an equally white jacket and top hat. It had a long beak like nose and a cane.

"Um…you don't look all that impressive, Ex—"

"FOOL! My legend dates back to the 12th century, you know."

"Cool, but what does that have to—"

"FOOL! Do you want to hear the legend of me? It dates back to the 12th century."

"…yeeeah you said that already. Listen I just came here out of curiosity and—"

"FOOL!" Excalibur exclaimed for the fourth time, holding it's cane in Eriks face, who batted it away, "Follow me, I have something for you." Erik felt his eyebrows twitch, and he was fighting back the urge to grind his teeth together. _"This thing…makes me want to kill…"_ He followed Excalibur and looked back at his weapon partner, who also had a look of distaste on her face, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing. After a little while, Excalibur handed the two of them incredibly large stacks of paper. Erik noticed with ever growing annoyance that even the backs of the pages had writing on them.

"What are these…?" Erik asked calmly, surprised that the blade hadn't called him a fool again.

"These are my 1000 Tasks that you must fulfill each day. Pay special attention to number 452, as I look forward to your participation in that one." Minora flipped to the page quickly and read it aloud quietly, "Number 452…5 hour story telling party…?"

"Indeed. And thus!" the being raised its arms to the sky and began to glow again, returning to its blade form, "Thus you have been chosen! It shall all be yours! Victory, and Glory! Now let's go….TOGETHER!" Erik reached for the blade and grabbed the hilt as wings of bright yellow light spread around him, the light becoming so bright that seeing was an impossibility. With a quick movement, Erik replaced the blade in the ground, saying, "Like I said, I came here out of curiosity. Besides...you annoy me. Let's get out of here Minora."

_Present_

Sarah looked at the grimace that had spread from Minora to Black Star, and she asked, "What, am I the only person that likes that guy? I think he's funny."

"F…funny?" asked Minora with a shocked look on her face, to which Sarah replied, "Yeah! With that can, that hat, and all those things he says? Ridiculous. And also the way he looks is kind of cute, reminds me of an anime character or mascot or something." Minora shook her head, still not sure what all this "anime" stuff was, but she had the feeling that if she spent more time with Sarah, she would know in time. Then she saw it, a little ways down the hall: a long leather duster, just like Eriks, only a little smaller. She walked toward it, stopping at the window and putting her hands up against the glass. Sarah walked up behind her and said, "You don't want that, Minora-chan! It's wouldn't look all that good on you at all!" Minora looked over to her friend and said, "That's not why I want it….I like it…because Erik does…" Sarah gazed at her friend for a moment, then closed her eyes and nodded in understanding, then said, "Okay, let's buy it then, and we can get a few things from the other shop too!" before dragging Minora inside.

_Around Midnight_

Erik was sitting on the floor, his back to the wall where he had slept the previous night, listening with his eyes closed to the music coming from the other room. Danny had been keeping himself busy all day with various activities, including having Erik order a pizza, which now lay forgotten on the coffee table. Now, Danny was busy sawing away at what Erik assumed was a violin, playing something that, if Erik had been around people more, he could have identified as "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," by Charlie Daniels. Unfortunately, the only thing Erik had grown up listening to was jazz, primarily a lone saxophonist by the name of Allen Cross, whom he had known in his childhood while living with the Shining Witch Lilith. Either way, the music he was listening to now was actually pretty good, and he found himself tapping his foot to the beat.

When the door opened and Sarah walked in, loudly proclaiming that, "Home are the hunters, home from the hills," he didn't move, but he did open his eye and gaze at the pair who walked in, noting that Minora was wearing a new leather coat, much like his own. Sarah listened to the music for a moment, then said, "I would've thought Danny would be asleep by now," then she turned to Erik and said, "Why didn't you put him to bed?"

"How motherly of you," Erik began, smirking at the scowl he got from her, "The kid is bright, despite his age. I figured he'd go to sleep when he was ready." Sarah scoffed at this and muttered, "Some babysitter you are," before walking away, putting the bags of what he assumed were clothes on the couch. Minora, on the other hand, sat with him, asking timidly, "So…so what do you think of the new coat I bought? Do you like it?" He glanced at her again, then said, "Not a lot of girls can pull off the duster look, you know. I think it looks good." She blushed and muttered a quick thank you before saying, "We bought you some new clothes as well….as well as this…" she handed him two small electronic devices and a pair of ear buds. When he asked what they were, she replied, "Sarah-chan said you needed a cell phone, so we used some of the money we got from Kid-kun to buy you an Iphone…I heard they're pretty cool…and the other thing is called an Itouch. I think you're supposed to listen to music on it but I don't really know." Erik put them in his pocket and said, "Wasn't that sweet of you guys." Then he noticed the black circles under his partners eyes and said, "You should get some rest, Minora. You look exhausted." She just smiled and closed her eyes, then leaned her head on his shoulder. She was out within minutes.

_"She really is cute…"_ thought Erik as he also began to feel the effects of being awake all night. When Sarah walked back in, she noticed the two of them sleeping so peacefully, and ignored whatever Kikami began to say and draped a blanket over them. "They really do make a cute couple," she said quietly, before going to her own room. Before she fell asleep, she thought _"Nothing beats a fun day like today,"_ she heard Kikami snort in disapproval, _"I hope we can have more Lazy Saturdays like this one…"_

**Okay, just gonna say it now, sorry. . I have trouble writing fillers…anyway hope you can find a way to like this, and hopefully I don't scare too many of you off. Until next time! Oh, and I want to thank the anime for the lines I got for Excalibur. Without them I would have massacred the charrie! ,,**


	19. Dark Soul Revisited! The Witches Plan?

**Okay, back to the main story line. Also, I think I should say that I don't own anything Soul Eater, with the exception of my own Original Characters and for this story, the plot line. Everything else is owned by the creator. Thanks. Enjoy!**

**Er: Anything is better than babysitting.**

**Mi:…and for shopping for…these... "clothes"**

**Sa: You guys are no fun!**

"Try again," said Franken Stein, sitting back in his office chair, his feet on the desk before him. He turned the screw in his head, the clicking of it seeming extra loud to Erik as he tried to calmly breathe in and out. "The candles I lit are meant to heighten the emotions of those around them. I'm sure Maka and Soul could tell you that these candles helped with their bond, and made it easier for them to sync up their wavelengths." Erik tried to concentrate, but Steins clicking was just so damn loud! Did he have to click that damn thing while he was trying to concentrate?

Click….click…_click_

"Dammit, Stein! Stop clicking that stupid piece of metal! We don't even need to work on our synchronization, so why am I doing this!" Erik said finally, glaring at his teacher, his eyes turning red. The Dark Wavelength was reacting to his negative emotions. Stein was unfazed as he lit up a cigarette and took a long drag from it, releasing the smoke through his nostrils, and then said, "That's why. From all the information I've been able to gather about the Dark Wavelength, it reacts to your emotions, more specifically the darker emotions; anger, sadness, jealousy, etcetera. The candles are breaking down the usual control you have over your emotions. Your anger is fueling the Dark Wavelength, making this ideal time to practice the Dark Suppression." Erik looked away from the infuriating man and closed his eyes, concentrating.

_ "He's right, though. My anger is giving the Dark Wavelength strength,"_ Erik thought, gazing at his soul within the Inner Chamber. Wave upon wave of dark energy surged around it, and he could feel it spreading through him like a wildfire. As usual, Dracula stood with his back against a wall of shadow, watching with almost hungry anticipation as his soul cracked a little more, pale violet light shining through said cracks now. _"If I wait too long, I'll probably lose my soul."_ The Count, having heard Eriks thought, scoffed and said, "If you call gaining that kind of power 'losing your soul.' Let the Wavelength flow freely through you, and you could tap into powers you've never experienced, I can promise you." Erik glared at him and said, "Like I want power. I walked that path and I ended up in a freaking slab of crystal. Shut up and let me do this." _Breathe in….and out…_

"Erik, you're still not doing it right. Focus. The longer you take to push the darkness back, the more likely your soul will change." Minora said encouragingly, the candles seeming to have no effect on her whatsoever. Erik opened an eye and said a little crossly, "Sorry I don't have a special soul and years of practice at this, Minora." He hadn't meant for his comment to come off as harsh, but the candles made it sound that way. She looked down, a hurt look on her face, and whispered "I…I just want…" she didn't finish her sentence as she began to tear up. She gave him one last look then stood quickly and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Smooth, kiddo. You do know that, just because she didn't look like she was being affected by the candles, she was. You really don't know how to deal with women, do you?" Stein said, smirking a little, but his face went serious as he watched Erik's soul crack a little more. Erik turned his head and snapped, "Shut up old man. I feel bad enough already, and your stupid candles aren't helping me any.

_Crack_

He felt the Dark Wavelength surge, and he had the overwhelming urge to attack the older man, who was now looking at him intently. He fought back the urge and went back to concentrating, this time being a little more successful, the Dark Wavelength calming. As it finally came to a stop, Erik smirking a little as his own wavelength took control, the Count frowned and said, "Looks like you're done for today. And I agree with the old man, by the way; you have no idea how to handle women. Bye." Then, he melted into the shadows. Erik opened his eyes back up and stood, stretching and enjoying the crackling of his back. He looked over at Stein and said, "I'm sorry, Professor. These candles are messing with me."

"Don't apologize to me, block-head." Stein replied with a bored expression on his face, "I suggest you find your partner. If you don't patch things with her now, chances are you won't be able to synchronize your wavelengths anymore, despite the connection that the Dark Wavelength seems to give you. Oh, and have a nice day." With that, Erik left the classroom while Stein began snuffing the candles. As the door closed, Stein looked toward the door, his expression bored and nearly emotionless, his cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. _"At this rate the boy's soul will change within the next few days. It seems corrode his soul over time, and no doubt when it does we'll have more trouble than we can handle. I'll have to consult Lord Death about a solution."_

Erik walked through the halls of the Academy, looking for his weapon partner. Now that his anger was gone and his mind was somewhat back to normal, he couldn't help but feel bad. _"Stupid candles. Why did I have to be such a…a…jerk!" _He knew that she was being affected by the candles, despite the front she was putting on: he could it in her wavelength. And because of his stupid mouth she ran off to god knows where. He searched everywhere he thought she would be in the Academy, but in the end she was nowhere.

"Of course she wouldn't be in the school…she probably went back to the apartment," Erik muttered as he hurried away to the entrance, nearly breaking down the front doors. As he came to the stairs, he caught a glimpse of her talking with Sarah. _"I knew she couldn't have gotten far."_ Erik thought somewhat happily, but when she noticed him, she said something inaudible to Sarah and began to walk away, quickly. Sarah, on the other hand, glared up at where Erik was and stood at the base of the stairs, her arms crossed and her legs apart, and Erik could tell from just that that she didn't have any plans of letting him get past. _"Shit…looks like I'm in all sorts of trouble today."_ He thought, slowly making his way down the stairs, his duster flapping weakly in the light breeze. Sarah never took her eyes off of him, and her face was set in an angry scowl.

"Don't even think you're going to get by me," she growled when he got about halfway down the steps, and Erik could sense her wavelength jump a little. She was definitely determined to keep him away from Minora.

"Listen, I didn't mean what I—"

"Can it. What you did was unnecessary, even if you were under the influence of Papa Steins candles. You should know better than I do that she's not someone to yell at!" she said before he could finish, her stance solid, "Even if you were angry, you don't raise your voice to someone like her. Not. Ever." Erik took one more step and she said, "Another step and I'll tear you apart."

"Sarah, listen. I just want to go apologize. I know that I shouldn't have, even with Steins crazy ass candles, but that's behind us now. If I don't patch things up with her chances are we won't be able to sync up ever again."

"I thought I told you to can it," Sarah said, her eyes flashing violet for a moment, "I don't want to hear your excuses. You know that girl loves you, right?" Erik wasn't surprised when she said this. After all Minora had made it almost painfully obvious (not to mention she tended to talk in her sleep). It wasn't like Erik wasn't interested, but he knew what love was, how wonderful it could be…and how horribly destructive. He thought about all the people he had killed in the name of his past "love" and looked down, then said, "Yeah. Yeah I know. She's not very good at hiding it. And there's nothing I can do about that."

"Oh, I don't know about that, block-head," Sarah said, Erik taking notice that this was the second time he had been called a block-head, "Maybe you could try reciprocating those feelings? That always seems to work." Erik replied by saying, "How would you know anyway? I've known you for what, two days?"

"That doesn't matter. You should just do it."

"You don't understand. I can't." Erik said back, to which Sarah, whose thoughts had wandered to Soul, and said, "Yeah, right. I don't understand. What else is there to understand? I can see that she loves you, and from what I've seen from you, you've at least got a soft spot for her. Or was her sleeping on your shoulder a coincidence?"

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" retorted Erik jokingly, to which she replied, "Shut up." Erik was silent for a while, then said quietly, "If you knew half the things I did in the name of "love" then you would understand why I can't just walk into this situation like all you teenagers seem to. I'm sorry you just don't understand…why am I even talking to you about this? Damn candles…" Sarah said nothing, but her hands had fallen to her sides, and she seemed lost in thought, and as Erik descended the remaining steps, she did nothing. As he passed, she said, "Maybe you're telling me how you feel because you trust me." Erik kept walking and said, "No, probably just those candles. I assume she went back to the apartment. I'll be there if she didn't." She didn't say it, but Sarah had told Minora to go home. As she ascended the stairs, she glanced back and thought, _"Why wouldn't I understand? What could he have done in the name of "love"?"_ She didn't understand, but what Kikami said to her next sent chills up her spine, _"I think both of us know how far we could go for that…"_ Sarah could feel the evil grin that must have been spread across Kikami's lips, _"After all, murder for love could be soooo easy! Say, I wonder where Soul-kun is?"_

_ Infirmary_

Maka yawned and stretched, the pain from her injuries completely gone, partially thanks to the pain killers she had taken, but mostly because, after a week of being hospitalized, she would finally be able to go home and sleep in her own bed for a change, something she had been looking forward to for a while now. One thing was certain to her: she did not like sleeping in hospital beds.

She felt a light movement beside her, and when she looked she saw that Soul was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Well, sitting wasn't the best way to describe it. He was in a sitting position, true, but he was leaning forward onto the bed, one arm under his head like a pillow, his hand facing palm up (and dangerously close to her own hand, she noticed) while his other arm was hanging at his side. His headband was askew, his hair was a mess, and she could hear him snoring into his arm. She let her eyes pass over him and couldn't help but smile, noticing how cute he was when he was asleep. His hand twitching caught his attention, and she knew he must have been having a dream. _"I hope it's a good one,"_ she thought. On impulse, she began to reach her hand a little closer to his, and she felt her heart begin to race, heat rising to her cheeks as her hand inched closer and closer. She didn't understand why she was reacting in such nervous manner, but then again she guessed that when it came to the crush she'd had for years this kind of reaction was something to be expected. _"Or,"_ she thought somewhat sadly, _"I guess this is to be expected when you've never even been on a date…"_ At the first touch of her fingers against his, his hand twitched again, pulling away a little bit, and made Makas heart skip a beat. She had thought for sure that she had woke him up, but when she looked his head was still on his arm, and he had turned his head so that she could see his face. His eyes were closed and he had a smirk on his face, but that was partially hidden by some of his hair.

After her heart slowed to a somewhat normal pace, she continued moving her hand closer to his, lightly passing her fingertips over his fingers, his palm, his wrist. His hands were calloused and kind of rough, but that was what she had been expecting. Slowly, she matched her hand up with his, noticing how much bigger his hand was, and slowly intertwined her fingers with his own. _"It's amazing how long I've wanted to do this little thing, and when I finally do, he doesn't even know…"_

Maka gasped when she felt his fingers tighten, squeezing her hand, and she thought maybe (for the second time within the last few minutes) she had woke him up, but again she saw his eyes were closed, and she gave a sigh of relief. Then she heard him mutter her name in his sleep. At first she thought she had imagined it, but her eyes widened when she heard it again.

"Maka…"

_"Oh my god…he's having a dream…about me?"_ she thought, her blush deepening before she slowly pulled her hand away from his, noting the resistance he gave, and when her hand was safely back in her lap, he stirred.

"Guuh…what? Maka?" he said groggily, sitting up properly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. When he looked properly, he saw that Maka was awake and blushed a little himself, saying, "Oh Maka you're awake! How are you feeling?" She just smiled back at him and said, "Oh, I'm fine. Please Soul you've asked me that every day since you brought me in here. Have you even been home?"

"Yeah of course I have. Why would I hang around here all day?" he said, acting cool and putting his hands in his pockets. Maka didn't buy it, saying, "Well, maybe because you were worried?"

"Nah, we've been through worse."

"Yeah…that's true…" Maka replied, remembering the time she had sat in almost the exact same place as Soul was now, after their first battle with Chrona. She didn't think she would ever be able to forgive herself for letting that happen to him, no matter how many times he told her it wasn't her fault.

_"Oh no, she's gone quiet,"_ thought Soul as he gazed around the room. Anywhere except for his Meister. He glanced at the clock, noting that it would be dark within the hour. Soon either the nurse or Stein would be in to check her condition and tell her she's okay to leave.

_"You should tell her,"_ he told himself, still avoiding looking at her.

_"I can't."_

_ "The hell you can't."_

_ "No, really I can't."_

_ "Dammit, Soul-Eater Evans, stop talking to yourself and tell that girl right now that you love her!"_

After a few minutes of this back and forth with himself (making him feel crazier and un-cool with every passing moment) he finally decided he would do it, and get it over with.

"Maka…there's something I need to…to tell you…" he started, noticing how stupid he was sounding already. Maka gazed up at her partner and said, "Yes, Soul?" He couldn't explain it, but under her gaze he suddenly felt small and weak, but he pressed on anyway, knowing that e if he stopped there he wouldn't have the guts to say it, "I've wanted to say this for awhile now…but it's only been recently that I've felt that you needed to know…"

"Soul, c'mon. Spit it out already."

"Don't rush me." Soul said back, wringing his hands together, all the while thinking, _"Geez, and you call yourself a cool guy and you can't even do this."_

"Maka, when you got hurt, I realized something…I think I'm…" he couldn't finish his confession as the door burst open and Stein fell in, crashing out of his rolling office chair and onto the tile floor of the infirmary. The nurse was close behind, holding Makas chart and a somewhat embarrassed look on her face. Soul looked over at the older man and scowled, knowing that whatever moment he had was completely ruined. The nurse stepped over Stein and walked up to the bed, not bothering to help the man up.

"Alright dear," she said, addressing Soul, "We need to check that her wounds have healed up alright, so we'll need you to go ahead and leave the room. It shouldn't take too long." Then she eyed Stein and said, "It would probably be better if you weren't here either, Dr. Stein." The older man, who was now sitting back in his chair, looked up at the nurse with a bored expression and said, "I suppose that's reasonable. Tell me when it's safe. C'mon Soul."

As Soul stood and left the room, Maka gave him a questioning look, as if trying to ask him what he was about to say before they interrupted, but he merely shook his head said, "I'll tell you later." As the door closed, he caught a glimpse of her injured shoulder, which had healed up well but would leave a scar, and he couldn't help but feel responsible. _"The way she does when she thinks of my scar…"_

Stein rested his head on his arms and said, "Well, you should be happy. She'll be coming home today, undoubtedly. Granted she'll probably have to take pain killers for a while, but the risk of infection is minimal, as long as she keeps them covered until they heal completely. You never really told me how that happened, by the way. Care to enlighten me?" Soul, who was standing on the opposite side of the hall, looked at the professor (the very rude, interrupting professor) and said, "The Witch used some sort of spell that manipulated the moonlight, from what I saw. Turned it into blades or something."

"Was it a straightforward attack? I doubt that, seeing as she probably would have blocked the attack if it had been."

"She was using crystals, floating them somehow, to collect the light. I guess what we didn't notice was the crystals around us that were doing the same. By the time I realized what was happening…" he felt his face grow hot and knew he was close to tears, but he wouldn't cry. Not in front of Stein, not in front of anyone. Not even Maka. Not this time. He had to be strong; strong enough to make sure this didn't happen when they faced her again, and he knew deep down that they would. He would have his revenge. Stein must have sensed his unease, because he said, "This kind of things happen in the battlefield, kid. There was really nothing you could do. Well, I suppose you could have looked up the Shining Witch Lilith at the library, but I doubt we have a lot of information on her," he sighed and closed his eyes, turning his screw.

"Don't say I couldn't have done anything, Stein. You saw with your own eyes what that Witch did. If I were a decent weapon I would have been the one on the floor, not her…"

"Then you're a fool."

"What?" exclaimed Soul, anger filling his ruby colored eyes. Stein merely gazed up at the boy with a bored expression and said, "You're letting your emotions get in the way, breaking yourself down. Do you really think it would be any better if it had been you?"

"Well, I…"

"Well nothing, Evans. All that would accomplish would be her feeling just as you do now, and or her it would be the second time she had to watch you come that close to deaths door. You're being foolish, and if you really want to help her, and then do it, and stop dwelling on things you have absolutely no power to change." It was about at this point that the door opened and the nurse said, "Alright, we're all done in here, boys. You can come back in." Stein hung back and said, "I'll trust your judgment on this. I need to go take care of some things." And with that he was gone, rolling down the hall with blazing speed, leaving the nurse to shake her head slowly while Soul stepped inside the room, the man's words still ringing in his head.

_Castle Transylvania_

Lilith sat at the end of a long table in what would have been a beautiful dining hall if it weren't for the lack of maintenance. Next to her was Equis, his eyes red. He had acquired a new scar from his encounter with Black Star, one that ironically formed an X on his left cheek. And on the opposite end of the table was Dracula.

"I mean no offense, Lilith, but why did you call this meeting in my castle. You do know that the DWMA has already been here once. Isn't your lair safer than this place anyway?" the Count asked, taking a sip from the wine glass sitting before him. At first, Lilith had seen the dark red liquid within it and assumed it to be some sort of wine, but in the end she knew better. What she took to be wine was actually fresh blood. _Human _blood.

"Yes, of course I know. That's what I've come to discuss, actually, among other things," she gave a look of distaste as he smiled and drained the glass, a bit of the liquid dripping down his chin, "I still don't understand how you drink their blood. The Dark Soul doesn't give you a blood lust, you know." The Count chuckled and wiped the blood away with a kerchief he produced from his jacket.

"True, the blood isn't necessary, but I enjoy the taste of it greatly. It makes me feel…young again." Then he eyed the Witch and said, "You didn't answer my question, by the way." Lilith smiled and said, "I'm afraid they found my lair just this last week. They are persistent. Now, about why I've called the three of us together." She sat forward and rested her head in her hands, seeming to be bored out of her mind, and her voice did the same. Dracula leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together, listening intently to what she was about to say.

"You were able to infect Erik with the Dark Wavelength, I assume?"

"Indeed. And I've been keeping track of his progression to becoming a Dark Soul. From what I can see, even with the Dark Suppression skill at his disposal, it will only be a couple of days. Our connection grows stronger with each passing moment, and soon he will change, and have no choice but to seek my guidance." He grinned at this, then eyed Equis and said, "I see you've used X's soul to create another Dark Soul."

"Yes, the power of the original Dark Soul dwells within my escort, Equis. As it does you, Count." Lilith said, rubbing her hand along Equis' scar, "It was the only way he would survive I'm afraid."

"But you didn't gift him with X's soul itself, I take it?"

"Of course not. My plan is the same as it always has been."

"And I know for certain you didn't call this meeting to gift me with it."

"Again, no," said Lilith, yawning, "I called this meeting because it's time to move on with our plan. I need you to call the others here so that we can start right away." Dracula's smile widened, showing his elongated canines that still had traces of blood on them, and he said, "Oh, do we start our assault, then?" he made no effort to hide his eagerness.

"I'm afraid not until all of the remaining Dark Souls are gathered, Count. And not until I have Erik. Then we can begin. For now, gather the others. Now, where is Minora?"

"She was freed from my control when my castle was attacked. There was nothing I could do about it, I'm afraid. With her Pure Soul it would have been too difficult to take her mind again." Dracula said, frowning a little at the thought of his lost puppet.

"Hmm…that's somewhat unfortunate. What about the research you did on her Pure Soul? After all you had maybe six years, you must have something." Asked Lilith, her tone becoming somewhat harsh. Dracula smiled again and replied, "Well of course I have something. The Pure Soul is really not so much a specialized soul as it is one that is immune to corruption. I know, that sounds unlikely, but from what I can tell her soul can never become a Kishin Egg, no matter how many human souls she eats. The only thing that seems to remotely affect her is the Dark Wavelength, and even that only slightly. It tends to influence her personality, and she acquires the power associated with it, but it never seems to reach her soul."

"I see. Interesting. So you are telling me that her soul will never become a Dark Soul?"

"Actually, I believe that over time her soul will change, but it won't be a Dark Soul. Into what I don't know, but it may be the answer to your question of immortality."

"Oh? How so?"

"The Dark Soul grants those who it changes great power, and immortality, but at a price, as you know. That price is of course an everlasting hunger for human souls, as well as the normal physical changes, fangs and red eyes. But if her soul was to change, I could hypothesize that she would gain all of the benefits with none of the downsides." Dracula finished his speech there, closing his eyes and once more leaning back in his chair. Lilith, on the other hand, no longer looked bored, and she said, "Well well, that IS interesting. But time is running short, I'm afraid we'll have to call this little meeting to a close. Equis, let's go." Then she stood, Equis standing alongside her, and they walked away from the table. As the left, Dracula gave them a small wave, even though they didn't look back.

_The Death Room_

Stein stood watching as Lord Death paced back and forth before his mirror. After he had been told of Eriks situation, he had said nothing, but merely started pacing, humming to himself every once in a while.

"Lord Death…what do you propose we do?" Stein asked, to which Spirit said, "Why don't we kid the disrespectful little punk out? If his soul is going to be taken over, then we might as well get him as far away from us as possible."

"No, Death-Scythe," Lord Death finally said, "He came here looking to atone for what he had done so many years ago. It won't do to just kick him out like we don't want him. He's been a valuable asset so far." Spirit looked away and muttered, "Yeah sure, taking out Kishin Eggs for now reason is a big help…" Lord Death ignored this and addressed Stein when he said, "I think I have a plan. Have him come and I'll see what can be done."

"And what about his partner? She's exhibits the same problem, despite her unique soul." Stein asked, to which Lord Death said, "Bring her in as well. No need to take any chances, I suppose."

**Okay, hope you all enjoyed. **

**Er: Yeah, I'm sure they enjoyed all the emotion. Bleh**

**Shut up.**

**Anyway, stay tuned, I'll be updating soon I hope.**


	20. Challenge! To Win or to Teach?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, nor do I own any of the characters therein. Well, except for those I've created (Erik Altezio, Minora, The Shining Witch Lilith, Vlad the Impaler (The Count Dracula) Also notice that I don't own the name Vlad the Impaler or Count Dracula, but I do own the character these names depict.)**

Erik and Minora stood outside the Death Room. After he had finally caught up with her at the apartment, he had apologized for his behavior.

-Minora lay on her bed, no longer crying, but she still felt bad, even though she knew he hadn't meant to hurt her. It was then that she heard the front door open and close. She knew it wouldn't be Daniel, because he would still be in class, and Sarah was off to visit Stein when she had seen her. So, she knew that the only person who would've been coming back to the apartment would be Erik. Her suspicions were confirmed when the door to her room opened with a little squeak. She couldn't see his face, because the light from the hall kept his face shadowed, but she knew it was him. When he reached to flip on the lights, she muttered, "Leave it off…"

"Minora…what I said back there…" Erik started, stepping in and closing the door behind him, letting darkness envelope him, as well as letting his eyes adjust. After a few minutes, he was able to see again, if only just, thanks to the fading light seeping in through the closed blinds at the far end of the room. He could just barely see Minora's outline.

"Don't worry about it," she started, stifling a sob, "I know you didn't mean it…I just…I just…" she didn't finish, but fell into quiet sobs. Feeling at a loss at what to do, Erik stepped up to the bed and sat next to his partner, who did nothing but continue to sob. Hesitantly, Erik reached a hand out and took hers, giving it a light squeeze. He saw her look up at him, or at least he saw her outline, and her sobbing stopped.

"I know. You don't have to say it…I just wish I could, "he chose to use Sarahs words, "reciprocate the feeling, but I can't. Not yet at least…" At this she lost it, her timid nature overtaken at this point (she was always more at ease around Erik anyway) and she collapsed into him, wrapping her arms around him as she cried freely, "W-why…? What's wrong…is it me?" Deep down Erik knew this would happen. He wasn't afraid of it, but he knew that this could cause problems if he didn't handle it right. And he knew that Stein was definitely right: he was absolutely clueless when it came to women.

"No. No Minora it's nothing to do with you. Of anyone in the Academy, you're probably the only person I would trust completely with my life. We share a bond that can't be broken, and not just because of the Dark Wavelength."

"Then why…" she asked again, calming down a little as Erik wrapped his arms around her quivering form. He didn't want it to be this way. He wished it could be different.

"Because…I'm afraid of it," he said finally, getting quiet, his voice barely a whisper now, and he knew that he would be bearing his soul to this girl, if for no other reason than he wanted to…or maybe he needed to, "the only experience I have with things like love is with the Shining Witch. And she was just using me then. Using me to kill innocent people and become something terrible. She was looking for the answer to immortality…heh…even with her unnatural longevity she was afraid to get old." Minora was resting her head on his shoulder at this point, her sobs nearly gone. He breathing had slowed as well.

"That's why I don't trust many people…" he continued, wanting to stop but knowing that, with the candles still in his system and how vulnerable he was now, he wouldn't. He was about to continue when Minora said, "I understand…Erik I really…really do…but…you need to let go…or the past could…ruin you." Erik shook his head and said nothing, his past now rushing through his mind at a million miles an hour. He had always been so cool, so collected. He never let his emotions get in the way of what he needed to do…and now he was in this situation…

After a few minutes of silence, Minora asked, "You saved me from the Count...I'll never forget that…ever." Then he felt a hand on his cheek, then another on the back of his head. He knew what she was doing, but he didn't resist. He knew, as she drew his head down, that doing this could instill a false hope in her, but something in him said otherwise. _"Stupid…candles…"_ he thought as he felt warm breath close to his lips, then hesitation. He could tell she was thinking about whether or not she was doing the right thing, he could even feel it in her wavelength.

_Knock knock knock_

Erik looked up at the sound of someone rapping on the front door. Part of him was happy about it, part of him was disappointed. He found himself reluctantly pulling away from Minora and standing, then walking to the door. Before he exited, she said, somewhat brighter, "It's okay…Erik…everything will be fine."

When he opened the front door, he was greeted by Stein, sitting in his rolling office chair. _"Jesus, does this guy roll __everywhere?__"_ Stein looked up at him with his usual bored expression and said, "Lord Death wants you and Minora to come to the Death Room. He wants to talk to you both about the Dark Wavelength and what we can do to insure that it doesn't become a problem." Erik, reclaiming his somewhat sarcastic demeanor, replied, "And if I don't want to see Death right now?"

"Then I'll knock you out and drag you. Either way this is important and you're going to be there, got it?"-

Erik scratched at his left shoulder, which was still somewhat sore from what had just transpired. Death had told him that the Dark Wavelength was reaching a dangerous level, and he would fix it using some new technique he developed that he liked to call, "The Grimm Reaper Five Part Dark Wavelength Seal," but had shortened it to just, "The Dark Reaper Seal" on account of the name being too long.

He had told the two that the Seal could be released part by part in case of emergency, but Erik didn't think he would ever need to utilize that.

"Lord Death…didn't tell us…that it would itch this much…" Minora said with a look of discomfort. This was because Seal had taken on a physical manifestation on their skin, making them look like large, black tattoos in the shape of skulls, something that Erik wasn't surprised about at all. Erik's was diagonal, stretching from his left shoulder to his chest, and Minora's was on her back, between her shoulder blades. Erik couldn't have helped but notice how their Seals were almost identical with the tee-shirts they were wearing. Erik shifted his duster, his hands being covered up by the sleeves which had become longer because of Sarah's attack the other night. It didn't really bother him all that much, but he knew he would probably have to take it off to fight now. Oh well.

"Well, what do we do now Minora?" asked Erik, leaning against the wall and letting himself sink down to the floor. He dug into one of the inside pockets and pulled out his phone, the screen coming to life and illuminating his face. _"One new message from Black Star,"_ When he checked all it said was "meet skewl ASAP." Erik sighed and looked up at Minora, who had crossed her arms and was gazing down at him through her bangs.

"Well, anything we do would be better than sitting around…" she said, almost entirely at ease with him now. She slid down and sat next to him, blowing her hair out of her face, "We could go home and relax, or we could go find Sarah and Danny."

"Yeah…or I could go sleep…or see what the hell Black Star wants." Erik said, pulling out the Itouch and putting on something random as he put the left ear-bud in, offering the other to Minora, who shook her head. Erik shrugged as "Feel Good, Inc." started up. Granted, he wasn't used to this kind of music, and jazz really was more his thing, but he couldn't find much on this thing (or really work it at all) and he stumbled across this, including harder music that was under the label "Rock." He had to admit that he liked it.

"He probably wants to fight…" she said quietly, "Why does he always want to fight you, anyway? That's almost all he talked about when I met him at the mall." Erik smirked, and said, "Because I beat him the first time we met, and I guess he hasn't gotten over it. How about it, think we should teach him a lesson?" He flicked his eyes over to her and noticed she was looking away from him.

"I don't know…he's your friend…and I don't like fighting..." she said quietly, wringing her hands together. Erik could tell that she was getting nervous again. "Do we…do we have to?"

"Well, no we don't have to. But I think we'll end up doing it anyway, since he's probably looking for me anyway. Might as well go and find him, right?" he said, forcing himself to his feet and shoving his hands in his pockets, the freely dangling ear-bud bumping against his chest as he did so. When he extended his hand to Minora, she pouted at him and crossed her arms again.

"Um…you've never acted all…girly like this Minora. What are you doing?" Erik asked, keeping his hand outstretched. She just looked up at him and continued pouting.

"I don't think I can let you hang out with Sarah anymore, can I?" She smiled at that and nodded, then took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She snaked a hand into his pocket and grabbed the dangling ear-bud and said, "Jazz or pop please," Erik obliged, switching it to "Ain't No Stoppin'" by Gerald Albright.

Just as Erik had predicted, it wasn't long before they ran into Black Star, who was waiting for them just outside the Academy, his arms crossed in front of him and a wide smile on his face. Behind him was Tsubaki, who gave a little wave to Minora but otherwise said nothing. Erik was surprised to see that the moon was out: they had been with Death getting the Seals longer than he had thought.

"So, you decided to come, huh? I thought you'd chickened out on me!" he exclaimed, while Tsubaki shook her head behind him. Erik smirked and said, "Chickened out on a pip-squeak like you? Give me a break." As he had hoped, this caused Black Star to go into a self-glorifying rant, starting with something like, "If I'm a pip-squeak, then you must be a pip-germ!" (Sorry, had to think up something dumb .) Erik didn't pay much attention, but waited for the boy to finish, glancing to and smirking at his partner, who had gone quiet and was sticking close to his side. She looked back at him and bit her lip, and he could tell that she really didn't want to fight. But he also knew that, if it came down to it, she would.

Finally, after a few minutes of Black Star going on and on, Erik interjected, saying, "Yeah, can you wrap this up today? I'd like to know what you want before it gets dark." Black Star smiled and said, "I'm here to challenge you!" Erik wanted to say, "Yeah I figured as much," but stifled it. "And," Black Star continued, "If we win….then you have to teach me the Soul Ripper technique!" Eriks smile was gone at this, and he looked uncertainly at his partner, who shared his concern, then he asked, "Why do you want to know how to use that?"

"I remember how easily you took me down with it when we first met, and I've seen how easily you do your missions, and I know it's all because of that skill. Who wouldn't want something that powerful?" Erik closed his eyes and shook his head at the boy's words, not speaking for a moment. After a minute or so, he said, "The Soul Ripper isn't something to be used recklessly. It's a technique created by a Witch, designed to remove an opponent's soul with speed and efficiency. It isn't as powerful as you think it is, either. It doesn't rely on strength, but on control: precise and exact. What makes you think that you can handle something like that?"

"Because I'm the man that is going to surpass god." Erik, eyes still closed, grinned at this and said, "Well, if you think you can beat me, you're welcome to try. But don't expect me to hold back. I don't like giving away my secrets." Black Star smiled too, and told Tsubaki to transform, which she did, but not before she shot Erik and Minora an apologetic look. Erik looked at his partner and said, "Ready? Remember I won't make you fight if you don't want to. I'm sure I can take them by myself." She looked at him with a pleading look, begging him not to fight with her eyes. But she saw his determination, and she knew that he would fight either way, and said, "No….I…I want…to help…even if I have to fight Tsubaki-chan…" Erik frowned and said, "It's really okay if you don't want to, Minora." But as he gazed into her eyes, he knew that she too had come to a decision. "Alright, let's do this. Get ready Black Sta—"

"Wait!" Erik heard as the doors behind him swung open, revealing Death the Kid, his partners Liz and Patti, and Sidd on the other side. Upon seeing him, Liz waved somewhat bashfully. After he had saved her and her sister, she had developed a little crush on him, but he didn't mind, and he knew she wasn't all that serious about it anyway. At least that's what he thought.

"I want in on this as well," said Kid, his face completely serious, "I heard that Black Star wanted to learn the Soul Ripper, and I think it would be more beneficial if I were to learn it as well." Black Star started to complain, but Erik said, "Two-against-one? That's more of a challenge! I'm game," to which Minora looked up at him with surprise. He passed her a wink before saying, "Alright, if you guys win, I'll start teaching you how to use this technique. Ready?" Black Star smiled wide and stood ready to battle, and Kid did the same as his partners transformed. Sidd stood against the wall, watching.

"Alright, Minora. Let's show them how this is done," Erik said, smirking as he removed his duster and tossed it to Sidd, then holding his left arm up beside him. Minora nodded and transformed, glowing brightly as she enveloped his arm, going all the way up just below his elbow. When the glow faded, Erik wore a formidable looking gauntlet that looked like it was made of black steel, with clawed fingers and a long blade on the outside of the arm. Each knuckle had a short spike, and on the back of his hand was a white skull, which he knew would be exactly the same as the one on her back in human form. He pulled his arm in front of his face and flexed his fingers, admiring the way the blade on it extended a bit as he did so, and he knew that wasn't all it could do. All-in-all, he had a few surprises they didn't know about, and he knew that this was one fight that they wouldn't forget.

**Sorry about taking so long to update, I was busy with a few things and didn't have much time to type. But that's okay because it's up now! I'm trying to add a whole love interest thing here, so that it's somehow more interesting. I'll try to update a little faster next time, but for now I'm kinda tired.**

**Also, I found an error I hadn't known about, but I was able to fix it I think. Let me know if I didn't. I really need a beta reader or something eheh…**


	21. Nosferatu! Only Four Remain?

**Welcome to –gets conked on the head- .**

**Li: Yes. Welcome to the story. I am truly sorry to do this to you, little one, but ****we**** are taking control of your work.**

**Dra: Indeed. Resistance would be most unwise, Mr. Trahurn. I suggest you just play along with what we want and everything will be fine. This I can promise you.**

…**.huh?**

**Dra: Right, you were just hit in the head…right. I don't think he'll be any problem, Mistress.**

**Li: Of course he won't. Now, shall we continue with the story?**

**Dra: Yes indeed. If anyone is looking for a disclaimer, refer to the previous chapter. Oh, and I suppose I should mention that in this chapter there are references to a few vampires from both fictional and historical sources. The names listed are all owned by their rightful owners, and not Allen Bedillion Trahurn. Or something like that. Special props to Anne Rice for reasons made obvious in the reading.**

_Somewhere near Baba Yaga's Castle_

Dracula sat upon the remains of a fallen tree, no doubt left over from the battle between the forces of Arachnophobia and the DWMA. He had started a fire, not for the warmth but as a beacon for those he had called upon. Granted, on any normal day, the others would probably be able to find him with ease, since they all shared an unbreakable connection. After all, it was he who gifted each of them with the Dark Wavelength. But, given the circumstances, Dracula had deigned to keep his own Wavelength held back, something he had mastered while he lived in that castle for all those years, and he knew that his comrades would not be able to feel out his presence. And sure enough, as he sat and watched his humble beacon dance in the night air, he felt the presence of someone nearby, trying to hide their Dark Wavelength but being incredibly unsuccessful about it.

"You look well, Lord Dracula. To what do I owe the incredible pleasure of your call?" a suave and cool voice said from the shadows, just outside the light of the fire. Dracula knew the voice instantly.

"Good evening, Lestat de Lioncourt. I had thought that maybe the call hadn't been heard, but it seems I was mistaken. Come. Sit with me while we await the others." Dracula replied, his tone lighter than it usually was. He glanced up and watched as his companion stepped into the light of the fire. He wore a suit not much unlike Dracula, only his seemed less modern, more like something you would have seen in early 18th century France. The color of the jacket and pants were more of a dark maroon color, with the jacket having intricate patterns of silver lacing. The shirt shared the same silver patterns as the jacket, but was a very light cyan color. The man himself was maybe six feet tall, with curly blonde hair that wasn't quite shoulder length. He had very sensual facial features, the kind that any woman, strong willed or not, would swoon over, and he wore a somewhat cocky smile on his face, his fangs glinting in the firelight. His eyes were the same color red as his companions.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'll stand, Lord. I wouldn't want to soil my clothing," Lestat answered, standing next to Dracula and letting his gaze fall to the fire. He had always been one who cared more for the well being of his clothes than for his own.

"You still wear those ancient garments, Lestat?" asked Dracula with a hint of distaste in his voice, "I'm surprised you haven't turned to the fashion of this century."

"Feh, you call that thing you're wearing a suit? This century has no idea what looks appealing on the human form," Lestat replied, playing with one of the frills on his sleeve. Dracula smirked and said, "Either way, old friend, I never liked those frills you seem to adore." The two were silent then, both gazing into the fire, no doubt remembering events from well over two centuries prior. Finally, Lestat said, "So, Lord Dracula, you still haven't answered my question; why have you called me here?" Dracula glanced up for a moment, and then looked back into the fire.

"The Shining Witch wants to move on to the next phase of the plan. So, I've called together the remaining members of Nosferatu so that we can begin."

"And how many of us remain, Lord? It's been so many years, I'm afraid I don't feel their wavelengths like I used to." Dracula chuckled and said, "Yes, I thought that might happen over time. Luckily, I will always be able to feel them," then, he sighed and said somewhat sadly, "of the thirteen original members of Nosferatu, only four of us remain, including you and I. This is something you would have known if you would use the Dark Perception more often."

"Like I have the time for that. I do have a multimillion dollar business to look after, you know."

"And they see you wearing that?" Dracula said with a slight edge in his voice, knowing how his companion would react to this. As expected, Lestat huffed and said, "I thought I explained why I wear this a few minutes ago. And no, none of the mortals know who I am, or even know what I look like. After all, if they knew what I was, I probably wouldn't survive. No doubt I would be attacked by some brats from the Academy," his eyes darted down to Dracula and his smirk returned, "just as you were, if I'm not mistaken. But anyway, we seem to have gotten off topic. Who are the other two surviving members, Lord Dracula?"

"Ah, yes of course. The last surviving members of our little organization are few, but that just proves that they are the most powerful. There is The Blood Countess, Erzsebet. She was one of the first I passed the Dark Wavelength to, just as my own master passed this power to me. Then there is Nikolai.

"Nikolai? Nikolai is still alive?" Lestat exclaimed, staring at the man in disbelief.

"Yes, Nikolai still draws breath. The only member of Nosferatu who openly opposed my leadership. Either way, he still won't be able to bring me down, no matter what kind of power he thinks he has." Dracula retorted, his voice full of confidence.

"Interesting…" Lestat began, scratching his chin, "well, as long as you're confident, I won't question it. So, why are we all the way out here, Lord?" Dracula gazed up, able to see the hulking remains of Arachnae's castle in the distance, nothing but a dark outline before the ever chuckling moon, and said, "From what I've heard, there is a machine within the confines of that ruined building that will help us a great deal. We'll need everyone for what I have planned."

"And we are going to wait for the others? That could take quite some time, Lord."

"No, we won't be waiting," Dracula replied, standing and walking out of the light of the fire, melding seamlessly with the darkness, as was his specialty, "I'll no longer need the fire, after all. You're doing such a poor job at keeping your Wavelength held back that they'll be able to track it with ease." Lestat stared after the man with a shocked, and somewhat angry, look on his face, but said nothing, but merely followed, letting the fire burn behind him.

_The Death Weapon Meister Academy_

Erik stood with his left arm hanging loosely to his side, the black gauntlet that was Minora glinting with a malicious beauty in the moonlight. He could feel her power rushing through him, mingling with his own in a way that made him feel…strangely whole. Despite her unwillingness to fight, he knew that she was powerful, and a weapon perfectly attuned to his own fighting style. Before him, Black Star stood ready, his smile seeming to get larger and larger with each passing moment. Death the Kid had worked his way around Erik, so that he was standing behind him. The duo had moved to outflank him, and Erik had the feeling that they were using Dual Arts, judging by how much their wavelengths had spiked. _"And it feels like there's only one wavelength,"_ Erik thought, flexing his fingers slowly, concentrating his wavelength so that he would be ready to fight. He loved how much easier it was while he was fighting with Minora.

"I hope you're a good teacher, Erik! I'm going to beat you, even if it is nighttime," said Black Star cockily, tensing and making it painfully obvious that he was about to attack. And sure enough, Erik watched as he dashed, his weapon changing into a small blade as he did so.

"SPEED STAR!" he cried, and after that all Erik saw a blur dashing in circles around him. At the same time, Kid opened fire, bullets of his compressed wavelength flying at their target with deadly accuracy. Erik ducked low to avoid the bullets, raising his arm in to block some of them with the gauntlet on his arm. Black Star took advantage of this brief moment of vulnerability and dashed in, hoping to strike a decisive blow early on in the battle. If it weren't for Minora's exclamation of, "Left!" then the young ninja would have been successful. However, because of his partner, Erik was alerted to the attack and, while still blocking the bullets with a mediocre level of success, shot his right hand into the boy, using the Soul Force technique to send him flying. With one of his opponents temporarily out of the way, Erik went on the offensive, dashing for Kid, no longer attempting to block the bullets but instead attempting to arc his wavelength in front of him, remembering how the Count was capable of creating a barrier with his wavelength. Though he was successful with his endeavor, all he could manage was to make the bullets veer off course a little bit, and he could feel it sapping away his strength.

_"You could always undo that Seal. Just a little portion would suffice, I should say, one part would be more than enough to make this little skirmish even, won't you agree?"_ he heard the Count say in his mind, his voice sounding as if it was far away thanks to the Seal doing its job. Erik ignored it and tried to focus his makeshift "shield," with about the same amount of success. He got within striking distance of Kid, and he focused his wavelength in his left arm, ready to attempt the Soul Ripper on his foe.

"Maybe you shouldn't use that….he is a Grimm Reaper…after all…" said Minora, but it was too late, as Erik shot his arm forward with a great deal of more force than he had wanted to. Kid saw the attack coming and had the common sense to leap nimbly out of the way, popping off a few successful rounds while Eriks attack met air, then slammed into the ground, the claws on the gauntlet digging into the stone and leaving slashes in it as he skidded to a stop. Kid landed a fair distance away, he and Black Star now standing side by side. Erik stood and rolled his shoulders, then flicked his left arm upward, making the blade flip forward, extending his reach and surprising his enemies.

"I didn't know your weapon could change like that. Though now that I think about it I do recall Dracula doing something similar at Castle Transylvania," Kid commented, his twin pistols still pointed at Eriks heart, "and the way you were trying to make a shield with your wavelength…another trick from the Count?" Erik smirked and said nothing, both of them knowing this to be true. Black Star, on the other hand, was scratching his head with a puzzled look on his face, and after a few moments of no one filling him in on what they were talking about, he said, "Who cares? No tricks he's got are going to help him here, anyway. He should've just taught us the Soul Ripper and it would've been done with by now."

"Well, looks like I'm going to be testing this Seal after all," muttered Erik as he focused, willing the Seal to release. _"Dark Reaper Seal…Tier One…release!"_ As he felt the power of the Dark Wavelength flow through him once more, only weakly because most of the Seal was still in place, but it was enough for him to feel his mind somewhat clouded with its influence. He smirked as his eyes darkened a little bit and it was just barely noticeable that his exposed canine had lengthened by a centimeter or two. That and he felt a small part of himself that he thought had died come to life: the part of him that wanted to win, wanted to see his enemies kneel before him in defeat. As this lust for battle reawakened, he heard the low chuckle of the Count in his mind.

"Time to get serious, right Minora?" he said, his voice a little darker, but still basically the same. Minora said nothing to her friend, but thought, _"The Dark Wavelength changes him this much…and it's only affecting a fraction of his soul right now…without the Seal...he would…" _ She didn't have time to continue the thought as Erik rushed his opponents at speed, the smirk never leaving his lips.

Erik felt great. Ever since the Seal had been put in place, he had felt weakened in a way. Part of it must have been psychological, as he knew that even without the power of the Dark Wavelength running through him, he was still stronger than most of the students, as well as maybe one or two of the teachers, at the Academy. However, this was only part of the reason he felt weakened. The other part was that, while the Seal was in place, his own wavelength was hindered, held back from its full potential. And now that part of the Seal was released some of his own power, his not the Dark Wavelength, had returned, and the result of this return of his strength was an obvious one: joy, and just a hint of cockiness. All of these thoughts and feelings rushed through him as he neared his targets, both of whom tensed as he approached. Erik held his left arm in front of him, his hand flat. He wouldn't need the Soul Ripper while the blade Minora provided was flipped forward: he would just use it like he would use a sword…well…if said sword were attached to his hand.

When Erik came within about fifteen feet of them, Kid and Black Star made their move, Black Star having Tsubaki change to Enchanted Sword mode dashing off to the left while Kid tossed his pistols into the air. Erik knew this trick, (he'd used it himself when he was a child) and kept his gaze straight at the young Reaper, who was now rushing at him, ready to fight with everything he had. This changed however, when Erik felt a sharp pain in his chest, and saw the bullets cascading on him like rain. When he looked up he saw Liz, holding Patti in her pistol form, raining said bullets down upon him, the woman herself seeming to fall in slow motion. He didn't let the shot that connected slow him down, and began to weave a little as he attempted to dodge them, his target still Kid. When they got within striking distance, Erik thrusted with his blade, his opponent dodging and attempting a chop of his own, which Erik dodged out of the way and, using the momentum of this movement, kicked his leg out in an attempt to sweep Kids legs out from under him. As he did so he caught a glimpse of Liz, who had landed in a crouch not far away. She had stopped firing, not wanted to hit her partner. Not far away was Black Star, who was making his own mad dash, again trying a flanking maneuver.

_ "Probably the Reapers plan. Too bad the Dark Wavelength is still so restrained. You could take both of them out with a single attack if you were to undo more of that Seal,"_ muttered the Count in his mind. Erik couldn't deny that he was tempted by the offer, but he knew better than to give into such temptations. _"Still,"_ he thought, _"if they work together then there's a good chance I may lose this battle."_ He figured if that happened he would just have to deal with it.

As Erik and Kid fought, Eriks attacks seeming somewhat more deadly because of the bladed gauntlet he wielded, Black Star did as Kid had told him, through the their soul connection.

_"Try to get behind him and trip him up. Use the shadows with your Enchanted Sword. That should do well. But don't hang back, or he'll probably just get out of it and continue to fight," _the Reaper had told the young ninja, to which he had replied, _"Why be so cautious? Let's just charge him and overpower him. He can't be that strong."_ In anger, the Reaper had replied, _"Don't underestimate him. He was once powerful enough to face my father, I'm sure not all of that power has left him. Just follow the plan and everything should go smoothly."_ Black Star had reluctantly agreed to this plan, and he was now going to put it into motion, sending the shadows up to Erik, who was beginning to gain the upper hand in his battle with Kid, even getting a hit or two off on the boy.

_"I haven't had a fight like this in a long time!"_ Erik thought as he swung the blade down again, catching the boy close to his wrist. It was a light cut, but he really hadn't intended to strike in such a…vital area. Kid hardly noticed the lightly bleeding wound, however, as he counterattacked with a strong kick that caught him somewhat off guard. He stumbled back, and instantly felt something off: a pressure on his leg that shouldn't have been there. It was too late for him to react as the shadows wrapped around his leg lifted violently, throwing him down on his stomach. He glared at the shadow still wrapped around his ankle and forced his wavelength through it, causing it to retract as if it had been shocked. He could almost hear the cry of pain from Tsubaki. That was when the cool steel of the Enchanted Sword touched against his throat, and above him stood a widely grinning Black Star, holding the blade against his throat from behind him. And when Erik moved to lift his gauntleted arm, he noticed that a black dress shoe was standing on the blade, keeping him from lifting it. Despite his best efforts, he knew that he wouldn't be able to lift the blade out from under Kids shoe without either getting knocked out by Kid or having his throat cut by an over anxious Black Star. All in all, the odds had turned quite violently against him. He thought about releasing another part of the Seal, knowing that the sudden release of Dark Wavelength would probably make his foes drop their guard. However, when he heard the click of the hammer on a pistol being pulled back, he thought better of it. Erik sighed with acceptance of his defeat and smirked again, closing his eyes as he did so.

"Very excellent work, guys. I didn't think you would try to just capture me. You win." At this, Black Star removed the blade from Eriks throat and jumped up in the air, crying, "YAAAAA-HOOOO! I KNEW I'D WIN!" Meanwhile, Kid lifted his foot and offered his hand to Erik, who took it and stood, cracking his back as he did so. Then, he took a look at his friend, one of the few he would make, and said, "Sorry about the suit, Kid. I didn't mean to rough it up so bad." At first, the boy merely shrugged the damages off, saying something about having plenty of them…then he noticed all the cuts and tears that left his suit…less than appealing. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide with shock as he stammered out, "The…sy…symmetry…..gu…gahhh…" before collapsing in a heap, his two partners attempting to bring him out of this most recent bout of OCD. Erik scratched the back of his head and decided it was best to just walk off, moving toward the stairs leading into Death City.

"Meet me just outside of town tomorrow at noon and we can begin your training. Don't be late or we'll be going without you," he called over his shoulder, Minora transforming and clinging to his arm. She was obviously tired, so he allowed it gladly, but he didn't ignore the way she continually tried to intertwine her fingers with his. _"Something has her spooked. That or Sarah told her to make a move or something."_ He thought. As he descended the steps, he passed by Sidd, who was now leaning against the wall at the bottom of them.

"I know you, Erik. Looks to me you let them win that fight. Why?" asked the zombie, to which Erik waved back at him and said, "Eh, who knows? I'm not all that secretive about the way I fight. Besides, it might save their asses one day."

**I realized I made a location error which was all…weird and stuff but I think I've got it fixed. If I didn't get it fixed fill me in please. .**

**Anyway, hope you liked, and I know the fight scene was kinda…yeah…but I needed to end it at some point. Also, the reference of the trick the Kid uses with his weapons comes from a saying my friend introduced to me when I was younger, "In a bar fight, never ever watch the bottle." I didn't understand it until I saw it in a movie. Yeah, people used to tell me all sorts of weird things when I was a kid. Shows I'm from Missouri. Awh well, I'll try to update ASAP.**

**Er: Whoa whoa whoa, what's with the personal info thing you just started spouting there?**

**Oh shut it, I only have two avid readers and their friends on Facebook. Besides, what's the harm in saying I'm from a state? Oh well. Hey where'd Lilith and Dracula go, by the way?**

**Er: Oh, I chased them off with some garlic and…whatever witches hate. **

…**.riiiight.**


	22. A Plan in Motion! Erik, a Teacher?

**Er: Alright, this time around I get to teach a ninja and a Grimm Reaper? **

**Mi: Yeah…you kind of promised…and you did lose that fight…**

**Er: On purpose. Maybe they can use it. Besides I doubt Black Star will be able to master it.**

**Mi: I wouldn't take him lightly…he's more talented than you see.**

**Er: Yeah I bet. Kid should be able to learn it, though.**

**Yeah, I'm sure things will be just peachy keen. Anyway, we should probably get this show on the road. Before I begin I thought it would be healthy to add the disclaimer yet again, so here ya go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Soul Eater franchise, including all characters, settings, or any properties of the Soul Eater universe besides characters of my own creation. The members of Nosferatu are mostly historically known vampires, namely The Count Dracula and the Blood Countess Erzsebet. I own the characters, but not the names. All credit to the name "Lestat de Lioncourt" goes to Anne Rice, author of **_**"The Vampire Lestat"**_** and the rest of the books in **_**"The Vampire Chronicals."**_** The last vampire, Nikolai, is one of my own creations and therefore is owned by me. I would like to mention at this time that this is a work of fan-fiction, and I do not plan on making any kind of profit from my writing. This is a hobby, folks, not a job. I try to give credit where credit is due so I don't get sued, thank you very much.**

**Er:…right…**

**Mi: Um…a sound Soul, dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body?**

As planned, both Black Star and Death the Kid met Erik and Minora just outside Death City. Erik was leaning against a wall, again listening to his Itouch, with the right ear bud hanging to his chest. He was listening to "Operation Ground and Pound" by Dragonforce, something he had stumbled on accidentally as they had been walking through Death City, and he fell in love with it almost instantly. It was fast, it was hard, and it was alive, and it was helping him in his new quest of learning about the music he had missed out on for years.

Minora, on the other hand, was standing a good distance away, still able to hear the music blaring out of the free ear bud. _"At this rate he'll go deaf,"_ she thought to herself as she looked out on the desert, taking in the beauty she saw there. She knew that, during the day, most people would only see a barren wasteland, but she knew that at night, the place was alive. There wasn't a single cloud in the night sky, which allowed the moon and stars to bathe the area in their soft glow, and she was able to see the things that brought this place life. She saw a family of coyotes run by, one stopping to look upon Death City for a moment before disappearing with the others, and she heard the sound of a night owl nearby.

Minora, lost in her thoughts, and Erik, lost in his music, didn't notice the duo until they were right next to them. Minora, noticing that she was no longer alone with Erik, started and gave a nervous, "hello…" to the two while Erik turned to them and said, "Good, you guys are…more or less on time. Where are the sisters, and Tsubaki?"

"They'll be along shortly," answered Kid, his words proving to be prophetic as his two weapon partners walked up behind him, Liz taking a place beside Kid and eyeing Erik a little longer than was necessary before looking over to her sister, who had immediately went to talk to Minora, who was growing more nervous and shy with each passing moment. Tsubaki arrived moments later, standing next to Black Star and passing a wave to Minora, who was being assaulted with questions by the youngest of the Thompson sisters. Erik looked around at the group of people, again noticing Liz staring at him before looking away, her cheeks flushed a bit. _"Not now, please…"_ he thought as he stepped forward. Raising his voice, he said, "Alright, let's go. There's a little oasis out here that we're going to walk out to for this little training session, I hope you're all ready; it'll be an hour or so."

"Whaaaat?" Black Star exclaimed, looking at Erik incredulously, "An hour of walking through the desert? A god shouldn't have to walk that long! Not that I mind, I can walk that without breaking a sweat, I'm just saying, why can't we learn it here?" Erik smirked and replied, "Because I said so. Besides, the walk will give you time to prepare your wavelengths to use the technique." Then, without another word he began to walk, Minora escaping Patti and walking at his side, while Kid and Liz collected the youngest Thompson, who was still chattering away to her big sister, and followed. Black Star, with a look of defeat that quickly disappeared, followed close behind, mumbling about how he was supposed to prepare for a technique he didn't even know.

_Inside Arachnophobias headquarters_

Lilith gazed around the large room, noticing the beaten and broken bed in its center. The room was dark, save for the ball of light she had conjured. Above the bed she noticed a machine, the one she knew Arachne had used to channel the Kishin Asuras Madness Wavelength throughout the world. She smiled, remembering how that very wavelength had pierced through even her most powerful spells. If the machine were even working partially, her plans would go without a hitch.

"Mistress, the last of the members of Nosferatu are arriving now," said her escort, Equis, who was sitting with his legs crossed in a state that looked close to meditation, but she knew what he was truly doing. Dracula stepped up at this moment and said, "Yes, it seems that Nikolai has arrived at the castle. Equis, you are quite talented with the Dark Perception, for a being a Weapon. You will make an excellent addition to Nosferatu." Equis would have replied with something along the lines of, "I serve only my mistress," but he knew that, with the way Dracula had made his comment, he didn't have much of a choice. He stood and took his place beside Lilith, who had been sitting with her crystals floating around her lazily, absorbing the light of the sun that was shining in through the great hole in the wall. This room being in the center of the complex, she thought that whatever did that much damage must have been very powerful, though since she had kept out of the war between the DWMA and Arachnophobia she didn't know which side had done it, but with the amount of madness still lingering here she assumed it must have been the Kishin.

"Lord Dracula," started Lestat, who was standing in a corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, despite the amount of filth that must have accumulated on the wall over the last year, "are you sure that Nikolai's presence is really all that necessary. Equis is talented, I'm sure he could…" but he was cut short by a shrill laugh from the gorgeous brunette sitting on the edge of the bed.

Erzsebet was, for lack of proper descriptive terms, perhaps the most perfect specimen of the human anatomy, something that she would have sworn up and down as the result of her own…personal practices. She was slender, with a modest bust and hips, which were covered by a flowing silver dress that was of a more modern influence. She sat with her legs crossed, the dress riding up to show quite a bit of leg. Her face was one that you would have expected to be the face of an angel, but the look on her face was one that would make any person cower in fear. Her blood red eyes bore coldly into Lestat, who merely stared right back, without fear. She smiled, showing her fangs, and said, "What, Lestat darling? I merely laughed at the fact that you seem to have forgotten the nature of this little ritual. Isn't that right, Dracula?"

"Yes, Erzsebet, you are quite right. The power from the Dark Soul that resides within all of us must be reconnected in order for our plan to move forward. Nikolai is just as important as you or I. Perhaps you would have known this if you had dropped your fear of his power." This produced another laugh from Erzsebet as Lestat again went silent. It was then that a boisterous laugh echoed throughout the hall, and everyone gazed back at the entrance to see a very large man there.

"Quite right, Count," the man said, his voice saturated with a strong Russian accent, "All must come back to the source, eh comrades?" The man stepped forward into the light (the one good thing about not being true vampires was their lack of vampiric weaknesses) showing that much of his bulk had to do with the thick furs he was wearing, including a thick wool scarf that covered most of his face, a similar fur cap, a fur jacket that seemed to be made from a bear hide, and fur boots. The only part of the man that was not covered in one way or another was his eyes, which had even then only been recently uncovered when he had pushed a set of goggles up to his forehead. His eyes, like the others, were crimson.

"Hello, Lestat. It has been a long time, my friend," Nikolai said, the faintest hints of sarcasm in his voice, and then he stepped up to where Erzsebet was sitting and said, "Ah, the lovely Erzsebet. Time has done nothing to take away your beauty, I see," he then wrapped her in a gentle hug, which she accepted and returned. The two had always been on good terms, most likely because of their shared philosophy on human life. Nikolai then turned his gaze to Dracula, and pulled down the scarf to reveal a strong looking face with a squared jaw. His chin, as well as a good portion of his face, was covered in grey stubble, and he had a scar trailing from just above his upper lip, across both of these lips, and down ending just above his chin. His lips were curved in a calm, yet somehow dangerous smile.

"Good evening, _Lord_ Dracula," he said, putting emphasis on the word lord, to which Dracula replied with a smile of his own as he said, "Welcome, Dark Destroyer."

"I've waited a long time to meet with you again, Count," Nikolai said back, his tone changing from mock courtesy to calm defiance, "Perhaps now we shall see who is truly fit to lead Nosferatu, eh?" At this Lestat stepped forward, a rapier composed purely of his Dark Wavelength appearing in his hand, and his voice was quiet and defensive, "You'll have to go through me if you want to fight him, you filthy cur." He changed his stance so that he was ready to fight, his blade held before him. Nikolai laughed at this and said, "Ah, I see you have changed just as much as Erzsebet, boy," then, the Russian stood straight and proud, twin balls of black fire flaring to life in his hands, which hung loosely at his sides. The tension in the air was palpable, but was easily broken by a hearty laugh from the Count himself as he stepped up to the bed, sitting lightly next to Erzsebet, who almost instantly clung to his side.

"Come now, my children. We are not here to fight one another. Lestat, come to us so that we may begin. I grow tired of waiting."

"But, Lord Dracula, I—"

"But nothing, child. You should know that Nikolai didn't earn his title lightly. Step down, _now._" Dracula's voice had become so dark and menacing that even Lilith felt somewhat frightened, though she didn't show it. Lestat, taking one last hateful glance at the still smiling Russian, allowed his blade to dissipate as he stepped up to the bed, leaning against the bed post. Nikolai also let his guard down and stepped forward, standing before his three comrades as all of their attention turned to Lilith.

"You brought the Dark Soul, I presume?" asked Dracula, motioning for the two to join them. Lilith stood and walked up to them, and pulled a dark purple orb from beneath her cloak. The thing looked more like a jewel than a soul, and it pulsed with untold power.

"The machine should still channel it's energy…if only a little. You'll be able to help the process along, I take it?" she asked, handing the orb to Equis, who quickly leapt up and stood in the center of the bed, gently placing it down on the soft mattress. The vampires separated, each standing to a different side of the bed as Lestat said, "If this goes how it is supposed to, then the functionality of the machine will be a trivial detail." Lilith only nodded, and watched as the five vampires began their work.

_"After so long,"_ she thought, _"My plan will finally come to fruition…with or without my toy."_

_Soul and Maka's Apartment_

Soul was washing the dishes after dinner: he had offered to cook that night since Maka had just gotten out of the hospital. It hadn't been an easy ordeal to get her to agree, however, but after her many failed attempts at convincing him (including a Maka Chop or two) she finally gave up. They had eaten in silence, both wanting to say what was in their hearts but neither able to find the courage to do so. After dinner, Maka had said she was going to take a shower and then go to sleep, and Soul merely said, "All right," before he started the dishes, which was what leads us to now.

_"Why couldn't I say it?"_ he thought to himself, not angry with himself but more confused, _"I was about to say it in the hospital…but when I was alone with her __here__ I couldn't find the words…why couldn't I?"_ He continued to question himself as he continually sunk his hands beneath the soapy water, coming up again and again with some kind of dish: a plate, a cup, the pan he had used to cook, and lastly, a knife. Unfortunately, he didn't actually bring the knife out of the water at that point, but instead felt a flare of pain in his index finger that instantly began to burn and sting as it was still submerged in the dish water.

"Gah….son of a bitch!" he said, a little louder than he had intended as he bolted his hand out of the sink and stuck it in his mouth, trying to rid himself of the pain (and wondering why in his right mind he thought sucking at the wound would help in any way.) He took his finger out of his mouth and took a look at his finger, which was still oozing blood.

"It's not too bad," he muttered the taste of iron in his mouth becoming more prominent than the pain from the wound; "I should have paid attention." He moved to grab a dishtowel with his other hand when he felt something smooth and cool touch his other hand. When he looked, he saw Maka, wearing a loose fitting shirt than hung past her knees. Her hair was still wet, so he assumed she had just gotten out of the shower, and it was down, clinging to any exposed skin and making the shoulders of her shirt wet. Her hands were cold, and she was holding onto his as she wrapped an adhesive bandage around the wound. When she was done with ministrations, she looked up at him with a smile and said, "Yeah, you really should have been paying attention." Then, before he could react to what had happened, she walked away, heading toward her room, and Soul couldn't help but notice the way she walked, the way the shirt swayed back and forth, and the way her hair clung to her shoulders. In fact, he would have found it incredibly sexy…if he hadn't noticed the scar on her shoulder again. He frowned deeply, suddenly becoming hyperaware of his own scar, knowing that this was exactly how she must feel every time she saw it. Then, his thoughts changed to that dark haired Witch, Lilith. The one who had hurt his partner…no…his _friend. _He would make her pay.

Soul took a last glance back at the sink before he decided to just leave the remaining dishes. _"They'll be there in the morning,"_ he thought as he walked away, hoping to just step into his room, collapse on his bed, and fall asleep. That was, of course, until he walked by Maka's door, which was slightly ajar. This confused him; she never left her door open. He wasn't going to dwell on it, until he heard a sniffle and a stifled sob. He slowly opened the door and stepped in, thinking that she might be in some kind of pain, but deep down he knew the real cause.

Maka hadn't been expecting to be intruded upon, no matter how much she knew she wanted him to. _"Why?"_ she thought, _"Why can't I tell him?"_ Then, darkly, she thought about how, even if she had told him, even if she had just blurted out those three little one syllable words at dinner, it wouldn't matter. Soul would never go for a flat chested bookworm like her.

_"What about what happened in the woods…he was staring at me,"_ she thought, but quickly dismissed that thought; he was a teenage boy, and she knew that he wasn't the only one to look at her that way. _"Well, what about when I got hurt? He was with me every day, even when I got out last night."_ Again, she dismissed the thoughts going through her head; she had done the same when he was hurt. _"And of course…"_ she thought as the tears began to well up at the thought of the scar that she still thought was her fault. Sure, she had learned to live with the scar just as he had learned to live with the Black Blood, but there were still times when she couldn't help but feel so…guilty about it. She didn't attempted to stifle her sobs when she noticed her door open, showing the boy that was, at the moment, the subject of her thoughts.

"Hey."

That was it? That was all he had to say? He walks into her room, while she's crying no less, and all he says is hey? Even with this angry thought coursing through her mind, she still sniffled and said, "Hey…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, stepping inside, his hands in his pockets, and sitting at the edge of her bed, taking in his surroundings as he waited for a response. He had to admit that her room was pretty much exactly how he had pictured it; neat and orderly, with a bookshelf filled to the brim with books (many of which were fairly thick, he noticed with a bit of a grimace) against the wall to his left. Directly next to this was a door that he assumed was a closet. To his right was a desk, covered with neat piles of papers (homework, maybe?) and another book, incredibly thick, that had printed on it "The Stand" by Stephen King. He couldn't help but be afraid of the pain that book could bring, especially in his Meisters hands. And of course, on the bedside table was a digital clock (11:30 at night, he'd been up that long?) a lamp, and…another very thick hardback book…another Stephen King novel entitled, "Under the Dome."

"What's there to talk about?" she said finally, wiping her eyes as her breathing began to slow back down, her breath no longer catching in her chest.

"Well, the reason you're crying would be a nice start?" he said, laying back and putting his hands behind his head, eyeing her from that position. She was upside down from his point of view, and he couldn't help but smirk; it looked kind of funny.

"No reason," she said, her voice humorless and distant, then she asked, "Why would you care?" At this, Soul frowned and said, "Fine sorry I asked. No need to get testy." Then, he sat up and stood, preparing to leave, despite every single cell in his body demanding that he stay and comfort her. It was partially for this reason (as well as his own personal desire) that he felt relieved when she said, "Wait…don't leave…" His heart gave a little pull at how small her voice sounded. Silently, he turned and walked back to the bed, sitting this time next to her.

"Soul…" she began, staring off into space, not really focusing on any one thing at a time, "Back at the hospital…you were about to say something…that you thought I needed to know…?" At this point, she knew what was coming; he was so nervous when they were at the hospital, and she knew that he couldn't feel the same way she felt. She knew that he was about to say the one thing that she didn't think she could handle.

_"I don't want to be your partner anymore…I know how you feel and I can't accept that…I'm sorry but I have to go…"_ she heard in her mind as she closed her eyes, seeing him look at her with cold eyes.

_"Please…don't leave me please….Soul…"_ she saw herself say, pleading with him and grabbing onto his shirt, but he pushed her away and was gone. She started to tear up again.

"I love you."

His voice was low, and very, very quiet. So quiet in fact that she was sure she'd just imagined it, that he was already gone and that she would never see him again for as long as she lived. She guessed she could live with that, but she wouldn't live well. And to see him with someone else would kill her anyway. No, it was best that she never saw him again. It was the feeling of something warm wrapping itself around her hand that brought her crashing back to reality. She opened her eyes and noticed several things at once:

Her face was hot and she could feel fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.

She was clenching the sheets in her lap so tightly that her knuckles were bone white and in pain.

Soul had his hand over one of her own clenched fist (the warmth she felt a minute ago.)

Maka stared at her hand for a moment, stunned. _"Hadn't he just left? Wasn't he gone from her life forever?"_ She looked up slowly to meet his ruby colored eyes, his face completely serious as he looked back, unblinking. There was a moment of quiet before he asked, "You…did here me just now right?"

_The Oasis_

"Alright, we made it!" cried Patti exuberantly, running up to the water and splashing around in it childishly while Liz went with her to make sure she didn't end up drowning herself. Death the Kid looked after his partners and then eyed Erik, as if asking "Okay, we're here, it's the middle of the night, what do we do now?" Minora stood nearby, and then jumped when Black Star cried, "HA HAAA! THIS WAS A PIECE OF CAKE! NO DESERT CAN DEFEAT ME!" Then, he turned to Erik as well and said, "Okay, we're here, what do we do now?" Minora looked at her Meister from the corner of her eye as everyone began to turn their attention to him.

"Well, we try to use the Soul Ripper, of course," he said, to which every single person around him gave him a very confused look. After a few minutes of silence, Kid said, "I'm…sorry? I don't understand, Erik. How are we supposed to use a skill that you haven't taught us?" Erik smirked and said, "Well, you've all seen me use it, and Black Star has even been on the receiving end once. Let me see how you think it's supposed to work." Again, silence, and again Kid was the first to speak.

"You have…an odd way of teaching…" then, after adjusting his position so that his perspective of the oasis itself was completely symmetrical (he was coming closer and closer to an episode) he said, "I suppose I'll give it a shot…but what do I use it on?" Minora gave a start at what Erik said next.

"Me, of course." Everyone stared at him for a moment, and then he explained, "Well, I doubt that any of you will get it right the first time…well…maybe you Kid, but either way I'll be able to nullify the effects more successfully than anyone else would…I think…" Erik stepped in front of Kid and put his hands deep inside his pockets, eyeing the young Reaper with a cocky smirk. With a smirk of his own (perfectly symmetrical on each side of his face) Kid stepped forward and put his hand on his chest.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Death God?" Erik asked, then was shocked for a moment as he felt Kids wavelength pass through his body; it was a strange feeling, very powerful, but at the same time very reserved. He could tell that Kid was trying not to hurt him, though he couldn't imagine why. There was another shock as Kids wavelength attempted to reach Eriks soul before the two were thrown in opposite directions; Kid flew off and landed in the sand just outside of the oasis, while Erik got the short end of the stick, slamming into the only palm tree there. Minora and Liz were immediately at his side, attempting to help him up, and the two shared a tense moment, the two staring into the others eyes almost angrily. The conversation that took place between the two women, although unspoken, could be heard loud and clear.

_"What do you think you're doing?"_ Liz's eyes asked darkly, to which Minora, sweet timid Minora, replied with her eyes, _"Back off, bitch, if you know what's good for you."_ Erik knew he had to break the tension or risk a cat-fight (he was sure Black Star wouldn't mind in the slightest, but Erik didn't want anyone to fight over him. In his own words, "I really ain't looking…at least not right now.")

"Uh, yeah so…" he stood, cracking his back and nonchalantly stepping between the two women as Kid made his way back over, slightly dazed as he brushed sand off of his jacket, "That was definitely a good attempt, Kid, but you were a little too subtle with it…granted you used more than enough power, but…eh I'll explain in a second, after Black Star has a go…though I don't look forward to it."

"Of course you don't look forward to it! After all, a god like me will get it right with the first shot!" Black Star said cockily, stepping forward and wasting absolutely no time with his attempt, slamming his fist into his chest and releasing all of his power all at once. Black Stars wavelength was powerful, just like Kid, but he had none of the Reapers reservations. The attack meant to be the Soul Ripper came out more like a beefed up Soul Force attack, or maybe the ninjas own special technique. The result was the same as before, only instead of both boys being launched away from each other, Black Star was able to stand his ground while Erik was once again thrown into the tree, harder than before. _"Getting thrown around can't be healthy…"_ he thought as Minora and Liz came to his side again, and again each woman eyed the other malevolently.

"Okay…." Said Erik, this time taking Minoras hand to help him as he stood (Minora tossing Liz a rather catty look in the process) and he said, "That was…good? Yeah…good try, but waaay too much power behind it." The two boys stood before Erik, waiting for him to finally explain the skill, and he said, "Basically, you both have a good idea on how to start, but with a problem here or there," he lifted his left hand and let his wavelength flood into his arm, "You've got the idea; attack directly with your wavelength through your hand. But this move is so much more than just an attack; it's a planned strike on your enemy's soul. It takes finesse." He looked at Black Star when he said this, then continued, "A good way to think of this is to picture five points of light, the tips of your fingers would be best, but anywhere is good as long as each point comes into contact with your opponent. It is these points that you want to focus your power the most." He stopped to breath for a moment, and noticed that Black Star was scratching his head, obviously not catching on completely.

"Uh…basically you want to stream your wavelength through your fingertips, Black Star. That shouldn't be a problem for either of you. The only problem you should run into is actually bringing the soul out; you both tend to use too much power in the attack. It's not about power, it's about being able to use your wavelength to draw out their soul. It's a confusing concept but you'll get the hang of it…I hope."

_Three Hours Later_

It was unanimous; everyone was tired. The sun would be up soon, and Patti and Tsubaki had both fallen asleep, with Liz and Minora not far behind. Erik hurt all over, and it wasn't from exhaustion; it was from the repeated slams against various objects. Neither had gotten the skill perfectly, and Erik could see a kind of rivalry between the two as they tried to learn. Kid would make his attempt; Erik would get launched a few feet (he had gotten much better in the short time they had practiced.) Then Black Star would make his attempt, and Erik would get thrown farther (he also showed some improvement.)

"Okay….guys…I can't take this much longer…last shot for both of you…then we need to get back," Erik said, checking his phone._ "Five new messages from Sarah…crap I forgot to tell her."_

Kid stepped forward, a determined glint in his eyes despite how tired he felt, and once more put his hand to Eriks chest, each fingertip making contact, giving his hand a claw-like appearance. There was the initial shock as the Reaper started the attack, and then Erik felt it searching, as he had taught him; searching for a weak spot in his wavelength that he could use to infiltrate and draw out his soul. Erik was mildly surprised when his friend was successful, and even more so when he felt the Reaper get a hold of his soul. Erik grabbed a hold of Kids wrist and pushed his fist away.

"That's good Kid, you've got it. Use it like that and—"

"MY TURN!" Black Star cried as his hand came into contact with Eriks back. Erik was surprised when Black Star used the opening Kids attack had created, and in a panic Erik gave a kick out, catching Black Star in the rubs and sending him flying.

"Gah…" Erik said, turning and looking at Black Star, who was already back on his feet and smiling widely, "Sneaky little bastard, aren't you? Still, that was fairly clever. If you can find a way to weaken your foes wavelength before using the Soul Ripper…" he walked up to Minora and woke her up, then said, "We'll try again some other time, though. I'm beat, and it's still an hour walk back into Death City. Erik laughed at the loud cry from Black Star at the reminder that they had to walk back. At least these guys kept things interesting. Little did he know how…"interesting" things were going to become in the next few days.

**Hey, sorry for taking such a long time to update this one. I hope things didn't get too boring, but I've dropped a few hints. R&R for…I don't know brownie points?**


	23. Drama Ahead! Just Kill Me Now

Erik sat just outside the apartment, trying to get at least an hour of sleep before he went to the Academy for class. Granted, he didn't really see what good going to class was (Stein was constantly having them dissect different animals) but apparently there was a test or something today. He glanced at the door, wishing he could go inside and sleep in his usual spot; he felt too…vulnerable out in the open. But, he supposed he deserved it, Sarah had made that more than clear.

-_"What the hell, Erik! You just go off to teach Kid and Black Star and take Minora with you?"_ she had practically screamed at him when they walked in, Minora barely awake on his arm.

_"She wanted to go. What's the big deal?"_ he had replied, calm and, frankly, too tired to care whether or not the dark skinned girl was yelling at him. He had no idea where Danny was, but like with the furious girl in front of him, he really didn't care.

_"What's the big deal? You guys could've been hurt for all I had known! And you going off somewhere with Minora? What do you think that looks like?" _she yelled back at him, getting within inches of his face, her own set in a ferocious snarl, her eyes violet.

_"You better not be talking about what I think you are!"_ Erik yelled back, finally snapping. He was really close to releasing part of the Seal but thought better of it when he heard a dark chuckle in his mind.

_"Maybe I am! After all you ARE a guy, and guys only think about one thing!"_ she yelled back, and he felt her wavelength jump. He smirked, but it wasn't in any way a happy one; it was more along the lines of a "say-one-more-word-and-I'm-going-to-jack-your-jaw" kind of smirk. She caught the look and narrowed her eyes in a challenging way, as if asking him to do it. There was a moment of silence until Minora pried herself from Erik's side and looked sleepily at Sarah for a moment. The fight ended with one word from the girl, _"Tiiiiiiiiiiiirrred…."_ Sarah sighed and let Minora pass, but when Erik tried she gave him a hard push, and then slammed the door in his face. He heard the locks click with an air of finality, and he sighed as well, pinching the bridge of his nose and clenching his eyes shut. _"Dammit…"_-

That felt like hours ago, but when Erik checked his phone he noticed that it had only been fifteen minutes. "Guh…three fifteen…dammit…" he muttered, forcing himself to his feet and cracking his back. Without much else to do, he decided he'd go for a walk to clear his head. That, or pass out in the middle of the street. He chuckled at the thought, and slowly made his way down the stairs, putting his hands deep into the pockets of his duster. When he got out to the street, he looked back and forth, not seeing much worth seeing. He yawned and just started walking, not really paying attention to where he was going, just letting his feet carry him along, his eyes drooping and his shoulders slack.

The sound of his phone buzzing in his pocket got his attention, and he pulled it out to see that Liz was calling him.

"Christ, what now…?" he asked himself as he answered, putting the phone up to his ear, "What?" He was trying to sound annoyed, but he yawned in the middle of the word and it ruined the effect.

"Hi, Erik. What are you up to?" Liz asked innocently, to which he replied, "Just walking…why?" There was a laugh on the other end of the line, and he heard her say, "Oh, I was just wondering. I just saw you, you know." This woke him up a little, and he looked around with concern. _"What, is she following me around now?"_ he thought to himself…or at least he thought it was to himself. He found with mild surprise that he had actually said it out loud when Liz said, "No, I haven't been following you around. Actually, you just passed by our place." By "our," he knew she meant the mansion that she and her sister lived in with Death the Kid. At this he took a short double take, looking back behind him, and he was surprised to see that he had indeed just passed by the mansion…except for the fact that the mansion was actually a good distance away, through a gate and down a driveway.

"Uh…huh…yeah I see that, but how exactly did you see me, Ms. Thompson?" Erik said, adopting a more formal tone, though he was too tired to understand why he did so. Maybe he was just being charming; maybe he was just being weird. He guessed it was the former of the two choices, as she laughed again and said, "Well, you're not the only one who can't sleep tonight. I was just taking a walk around the grounds and just happened to see you pass by the gate." Erik sighed, a long, tired sounding thing, and decided to back track to the gate, and he wasn't surprised at all when he saw her standing with her back to him, leaning against the gate. From what he could see she was dressed for sleep, wearing a loose fitting white tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. No shoes from what he could see, but he didn't really care. He hung up and checked the time. _"Four in the morning…geez…"_

"Uh! What a jerk!" he heard the blonde huff as he slowly slid down the gate, resting his back on the bars, which was actually very uncomfortable. He would've moved if he had the will to do so.

"Thanks for that," he said quietly, causing the girl to jump and spin around, looking around comically to see who had spoken. "I'm down here, Liz," he told her, looking up at her for a moment before yawning and closing his eyes. He had to admit he felt a little better with some company.

"Oh…eheh…you heard that I take it?" she said, embarrassed. Then, she did as he did, sitting to his left on the opposite side of the gate. Erik just gave an unenthusiastic, "Meh," and closed his eyes. He faintly felt her eyes on him, appraising him. He knew if he opened his eyes she would blush and look away. He didn't really have a problem with that; she wasn't the only girl who had checked him out, and as far as he was concerned they could look all day and he wouldn't really care. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn't going to let some girl change that.

Erik was close to falling asleep when he felt the gate shift and open, and he was too sluggish to react as it gave way completely, opening behind him and letting him fall down to the pavement. He opened his eyes to see Liz standing over him, holding a hand out for him to take as she said, "God, Erik you look like you're half dead. Maybe you should come inside and get a little sleep, at least 'til class. Kid ought to be up already so I'm sure he won't mind…as long as you don't mess anything up." Erik could tell from the nervous way she asked him and the way her eyes shone hopefully that coming in to sleep wasn't the only reason she wanted him to come inside but, despite her thinly veiled intentions, he accepted the offer. He was too tired to care at the moment, and he supposed it would make her happy.

"Yeah," he said as they walked, referring to her comment from just a few moments ago, "You'd look awful too if you'd spent an entire night getting thrown around by a Grimm Reaper and a headstrong ninja, and then getting locked out by a girl that I'm pretty sure is bipolar."

"What you mean Minora locked you out?" Liz asked, frowning at him.

"No, not Minora. Sarah, Maka's cousin. She's letting us live with her for a while, and she was all mad that I…forget it…." He yawned, stretching his arms in front of him and cracking his knuckles, "I'm too tired to care." His sleep deprived brain noticed the way the door was completely symmetrical, and he chuckled at himself, causing Liz to look at him with a confused look before he shook his head and she nodded and opened the door.

"Ah Liz, there you are have you…oh hello Erik I didn't expect you. Problems sleeping?" Kid said as they entered the living room (which Erik also noticed was perfectly symmetrical.

"Yeah, you could say that," he answered as Liz led him to the couch and he flopped down, his eyes growing heavier by the minute. Before he fell asleep, however, he made sure to text Sarah and tell her where he was this time. Once done, he pulled his jacket around him and barely heard Kid say to Liz, "Yes, it's really no problem. The way he's sitting actually makes the room more symmetrical. I'll wake you guys up when it's time to leave.

_"You guys?" _Erik thought before he fell asleep. He barely noticed the feeling of something warm at his side, and he didn't even hear the contented sigh Liz gave as she rested her head on his chest. She knew that he wasn't interested in a relationship; he had said so the first time she had asked him out (which would also explain why Minora didn't seem to like her around him all that much.)

_"But…"_ she thought sleepily, letting her eyes drift closed, _"That doesn't mean we can't be better friends, does it? I'm sure he wouldn't mind, and it's not like he and Minora are dating or anything…"_

_7:30 A.M._

Erik awoke to the feeling of someone running their hand through his hair. He smiled and let his eyes open slowly. It wasn't like he had forgotten about running into Liz a few hours ago, so he wasn't surprised to see that it was her doing so. He was surprised about where he had ended up; during his sleep he had slid off the couch, and was sitting in much the same way he would have if he had been sleeping in his place by the door at the apartment, but in this position he had his head leaned back in Liz's lap.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked calmly, keeping his smile. It's not like he didn't enjoy it; it felt nice. Liz smiled herself and said, "Because I feel like it. Problem?"

"Well, it's quite the suggestive position we're in, wouldn't you say?" he retorted, and for the briefest of moments he felt some affection toward the girl, which was of course the last thing he needed. But still, he couldn't help but feel the faintest of fluttering in his heart looking up into her big blue eyes. Then he remembered the only other time this had ever happened in his life, with a certain dark haired Witch, and his smile faded as he wondered how long it was going to be before he could move on.

"Oh, you're up already. I…..I….." came the voice of Kid, who was currently standing in the doorway looking appalled. At first Erik assumed that it was that "suggestive position" he had mentioned moments ago, but then realized that, with the way he was sitting, he was completely throwing off the symmetry that he vaguely remembered the Reaper commenting on before he passed out.

"Why are you sitting on the floor like that?" the Reaper said, literally lifting Erik off the ground and putting him back on the couch, adjusting him this way and that before he stepped back, looked at him quizzically, and then nodded his approval.

"There, that's much better. Anyway, classes will be starting in about half an hour; will you be riding with us, Erik?" Kid asked, once more at ease. Erik thought about it for a moment, noticing how Liz nudged his shoulder from her place beside him, obviously hoping that he would say yes. _"Why are all these girls getting so…girly…"_he thought, then shook his head and said, "No, it's not too far away. I think I'll make it okay. Thanks for the offer though." Erik stretched, as was his normal routine after just waking up, and began to walk out toward the door, passing Kid who gave him a curt nod as he did so. Before he left he gave a quick turn and wave to Liz, who was suddenly the only person in the room. She waved back but she obviously wasn't happy with his decision. _"She'll live."_

Meanwhile, Minora walked up the steps to the Academy with Sarah, who was followed by Danny. Minora wasn't very happy, and she knew very well why.

_"Took a walk and wound up at Kids place. See you at school."_ That was what the text message had said when she woke. Sarah had the same message, but she seemed unfazed by it; she _was_ the one who locked him out last night, anyway. Minora, on the other hand, was furious, sad, and felt rejected all at the same time, and she didn't like it. Granted, she'd been through worse in her life, but she still didn't like it.

_"I bet he went to see Liz…"_ she thought sullenly.

"Uh, Minora what's wrong? Are you mad at me that I locked Erik out last night?" Sarah asked, to which Minora replied, bashfully since they were suddenly surrounded by other students, "Oh…no…it's not that…"

"Is it about him being at Kids place?"

"…."

"I'll take that as a yes. I wouldn't worry about it, Minnie," Sarah said, using the pet name she had devised (Minora didn't really mind, but it always made her feel weird) and then said, "You said yourself that things between you two are fine. You guys synch up almost perfectly. And besides, you said he told you that he wasn't looking for any relationship. I'm sure he just ran into Kid or something and he was invited in." Sarah went on and on, trying to make Minora feel better about it, but she couldn't shake her depression.

_"She likes him…she wants him…I know it. And of course he'd go for her…"_ she thought. Sarah, noticing that nothing was working, smirked evilly and said, "You know, if you really want, I bet you could make him jealous. You know…I've noticed some of the other boys looking at you recently, maybe you could go out on a date with one of them?" Minora started at the suggestion and turned a deep shade of red, "I…I couldn't do that!"

"Oh, what could it hurt? Besides maybe you'll find someone you like better, eh?" Sarah said, to which Danny replied, "Ane…that's not good advice to give. This is more likely to end badly…" Unfortunately, Sarah didn't really hear him, as she was busy devising a devious master plan, and she was beginning to whisper to Minora at near hyperspeed.

"Oh oh oh what about him?" she asked, eyeing a boy as they passed, but Minora refused, saying, "I'm…I'm not going to use someone just to make Erik jealous. Even if there was anyone else I liked, I wouldn't date them just for that! Sarah you're so…"

"Bad? I know." She looked at Minora with a sly grin, and the shy girl suddenly noticed that her eyes were violet. Danny noticed too, and whispered to Minora, "It should be okay, as long as she doesn't start attacking people or anything…she gets like this sometimes." Minora could tell by the young boys tone that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but she got the basic gist of what he was saying.

_"She's not completely herself at the moment…maybe the other presence I keep feeling?"_

Finally, Sarah's eyes changed back to normal and she looked somewhat embarrassed for a moment, but saved it by saying, "I know you're not that kind of person, but it's just a thought. Maybe you should just give up on being more than a Weapon-Meister pair?" Minora nodded sadly, then noticed that the group had almost reached their class already, with Mifune standing just outside the open door. She also noticed that there was a tall and curvaceous addition to their group.

"Hello Minora-chan, Sarah-chan," greeted Tsubaki quietly, giving the two girls a small wave, "And how are you this morning, Danny?" The little boy just nodded somewhat sheepishly as he stepped away from Sarah, going to his own class. Tsubaki didn't mind his quiet little answer, and the three women waved to him as he walked away.

"Well, let's get in there and get good seats before everyone else," said Sarah, who stepped inside. Minora was about to follow when she felt Tsubaki's hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, Minora, I was supposed to say something to you from Black Star," Minora looked at her confused, wondering why the self-proclaimed god didn't just tell her himself. Then again…he had been acting weird lately, always quiet (well, quieter) when he was around her. And last night she caught him staring at her when Kid was practicing the Soul Ripper.

"What is it, Tsubaki-chan?"

"He said he wants to meet you today, but he didn't say where. I think he's planning on just popping up wherever you are today…his attempt at subtlety I guess…anyway I think he just wanted you to be ready so you didn't get scared or something. Strangely thoughtful of him…" she stared out into space for a moment before she said, "Well, anyway, I don't think he'll do anything bad, but he is Black Star. I hope you'll keep him in line for me." Then, she was gone, going to take her seat next to the blue haired ninja, who instantly began some animated story about one thing or another.

_"Well…as long as Erik isn't interested…"_

**helps me do things with Yeah I know, terrible. I think this new development will go somewhere, and I say I think because believe it or not this thing is starting to write itself (most of the events in this "episode" weren't foreseen by **_**moi**_**) Scary? No. Psychic? Ehhhh…..no. Stay tuned, I'll try not to disappoint and please please PLEASE, if you read this please review it. I like knowing if someone loves (hates) my work, it gives me more more gusto to work!**


	24. Dark Power Released! Bad Times Ahead?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, and if I did…well I don't so that doesn't matter. Enjoy, or don't, your call.**

Erik eyed Minora stepping in just behind Tsubaki, and as soon as her light green eyes came into contact with his light blue ones, he could tell right away that she was upset. Granted, when she saw him she gave him her shy but somehow open smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, and he knew something was wrong. Worst of all, he knew what it was about. Behind her, Mifune closed the door and stepped to the front of the class, while Minora made her way up to take her usual place next to him (Erik noticing several lecherous stares toward her that, frankly, he didn't like.)

"Good morning, Erik. Did you…sleep well?" she asked, barely veiling a bit of her contempt, and he could tell she was talking about his going to the Death Gods Mansion.

"Fine, once I did. Didn't help that I was locked out, though. Wonder what crawled up her ass," he replied, unfazed but fully aware of what she was implying. He looked over at her from his relaxed position in the chair (hands behind his head and his feet up on the table) and noticed that she was staring down at something. Following her gaze, he noticed Liz, sitting in her cowboy…cowgirl…cow-_whatever_ hat and incredibly short red shirt, with a bored look on her face. She was filing her nails while her sister Patti was frantically doodling something on a piece of paper; a giraffe?

"Now before you start jumping to conclusions, Minora, I—"

"She's the one that invited you in, isn't she?" the dark haired girl asked, venom lacing her words as she referred to the Weapon that was now taking up almost all of her attention. Erik heard Mifune say something and someone else answer him but he didn't pay attention.

"And so what if she did? That doesn't mean anything, Minora, and you know it."

"Yeah right. I've seen how she looks at you, and don't say you haven't either; you hardly miss anything." She was looking at him now, but she didn't look angry. She looked sad, but she had the slightest of smirks on her face. As if she were accepting a defeat. Erik sighed and said, "Do you really think that I'm the kind of guy to tell one girl no while I told another yes? C'mon surely you know me better than that." He heard Mifune say something louder and the class quieted, but he didn't pay any attention. "Minora, I told you we're just friends. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Yeah it always starts that way. I'm not mad Erik…I just wish…" Minora couldn't finish her sentence as a katana embedded itself in the wall behind the pair. Erik gave a tired (a few hours of sleep could only help so much) glance along the edge of the blade, feeling somewhat proud that neither he nor his partner had flinched when the weapon had partially blocked their view of each other. Everyone else, on the other hand, had shocked looks on their faces as they stared at the pair.

"As I was saying," began Mifune, a slight scowl forming on his face as he straightened his stance, "Complete and total focus is required on the battlefield, as many of you in the room know. If you don't focus on what's going on around you," he eyed the two dangerously, "then you're likely to become a casualty." There were snickers around the room, but Erik ignored them. He'd been fighting before any of the people in this room was even born, and quite literally at that.

"Anyway, today, since Dr. Stein has gone with Sidd and Nygus on assignment, I'm in charge today. Any questions?" Maka raised her hand high at this, her own partner snoozing next to her

"What is it, then?" Mifune asked her gruffly; he didn't really want to be teaching a class today, especially since it required him to be away from Angela for extended periods of time. He had grown to trust Lord Death, but he knew that some of the….less than reputable students….saw the little Witch as an easy target, and he knew that if anything happened to her, he would personally destroy anyone who dared lay a finger on her.

"Mifune-sensei, what exactly will we be doing today?"

"Well, we're going to fight. Well, spar would be the correct way to say it, but fight is the general idea. Oh, and you'll be switching weapons today. It's important to know how to synchronize with another Weapon or Meister if your own partner gets injured in battle." There were looks of unease among the students, but they were quickly banished when Black Star stood up on his desk and proclaimed proudly, "THIS IS NOTHING FOR SOMEONE AS BIG AS ME! I CAN SYNCH UP WITH ANYONE IN THIS ROOM!" Mifune glared at the overzealous ninja but said nothing, and instead begin to tick off names, calling each person one by one and pairing them up with someone else. When all was said and done, the pairings were as follows:

Maka and Tsubaki were paired up, the two of them sharing a brief smile. Erik knew that they would probably have no problem with matching each other's wavelengths, ytr87something they proved when Tsubaki transformed into her Kusarigama form, Maka catching the chain-scythe easily. Next, Black Star was paired with Harvar, the latter of the two completely unaffected by the formers giant grin and thumbs up as he said, "Hope you don't get blown away by my awesomeness!" Harvar said nothing, but took his place next to the boy. Minora was paired with Sarah, something Erik thought wasn't likely to bode well for him, knowing Sarah's attitude, and this thinking only intensified when Kid was paired with Soul while the Thompson sister were, much to Kid's woe, split up, with Patti partnering up with Ox (the ever exuberant Patricia Thompson wrapping the balding young man in a surprise tackle-hug of sorts, something Erik found amusing) and Liz, of course, pairing up with him, her tough girl demeanor diminishing as she stepped over to him, her cheeks painted a pinkish hue. Erik dared a glance over at Sarah, who had been boring holes into the back of his head moments before. _"Someone kill me now…"_ thought Erik glumly; he didn't much care for drama, and he was unhappy to find that his life had suddenly been filled with it, without his consent.

"Alright, now that you're all paired up, let's get this over with, shall we?"

_Just outside Baba Yaga's Castle._

Stein and Sid stood still and silent, both peering at the hulking mass that was Baba Yaga's Castle. The point of interest for the two; the gaping hole that they knew would lead to Arachne's chambers, and the source of the darkness that was currently bombarding them.

"What say we….rush in and dissect them all? I like that plan," said Stein, his voice edgy with madness. The Dark Wavelength saturating that area was straining his control, but he hadn't lost his cool yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time. Luckily, Sid and Nygus were there to make sure he didn't get out of control.

"I'm not going to do anything so rash, Stein: it's not the kind of man I was. But you are right about one thing; we need to get closer. If that Witch really is in there, then we need to take her out as quickly as possible."

"Sid, it's obvious that there's more than just one little Witch in there. The power coming out of that place is…incredible, far beyond what we initially thought," Nygus said in her Weapon form , currently tucked away in the holster Sid had on his person, "We should request some back up, preferably a Death Scythe, maybe more." Sid put his hand to his chin, pondering the thought, while Stein threw what was left of his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with his foot. He wanted to just go in and get it over with.

"Nygus is right," Sid began, "with all the power seeping out of that place, it's likely that the Count that Erik and Kid failed to defeat could be in there, as well as X. Alone, we probably wouldn't be enough to take them out." Then, he pulled out a small mirror and started to write down the number for Lord Death, but was stopped when Stein put his hand on his arms and pushed it down, his eyes fixed on the castle.

"What?"

"There are…six souls…one is the Witch…the others…are…filled with the Dark Wavelength. I think they must be more souls like Dracula…wait…there's a seventh soul…it's more powerful…they're surrounding it and…oh shit, get down!" Stein said, all seriousness as he dragged Sid to the ground just as a massive wave of Dark Wavelength powered through the area. With his Soul Perception, Stein could see what could only be described as rivers of Dark Wavelength pouring not only from the opening in the building, but also from the machine that he thought had been destroyed. _"Not completely, it seems."_

"What in Lord Deaths name is happening, Stein?" asked Sid and Nygus simultaneously, but Stein only shook his head and muttered, "Put that call through to Death City. We can't do anything here right now," he paused and closed his eyes, grimacing as the Dark Wavelength aggravated the madness within him, "Though I think they'll be feeling this in moments anyway."

_Back at the DWMA_

Erik jumped back as Sarah slashed at him, using her own Soul Slash ability to lengthen Minoras blade, which she had mastered very quickly. He assumed that she was getting some sort of revenge against him.

_"The score is one and O, Erik. Care to…get your honor back?"_ she had said, to which Erik had replied, _"Uh, we tied."_ Mifune had told them to be careful and not wreck the place, but Sarah had already destroyed a good portion of the room, including putting a hole in the wall. None of the others had done any damage at all; Black Star and Harvar didn't even fight, as Black Star couldn't even lift the spear type weapon. And everyone else had varying levels of success, but none so than Sarah, who seemed to be a natural with using the Demon Gauntlet type weapon.

As they fought, Erik caught a glimpse of Minora in the blade, as well as Liz. Even in Weapon form, the two were glaring at one another. Erik wasn't sure how much of this aggression between the two he could take, and for a moment, he even wished he was back in the crystal.

"Stop running Erik!" Sarah cried, taking another lunge for his torso, which he dodged by flipping himself up onto a table and firing the pistol in his right hand, while the left was ready and waiting for a chance to use his wavelength.

"I'm not running! I'm keeping my distance, there's a difference!" Sarah glared at him angrily and tensed to strike, but as soon as she did, she heard a terrible ringing in her ears, followed by something loud that sounded like the blazing of an inferno. She held her hands to her ears, and for a moment, Erik thought he had won somehow…until he felt the full force of what she was going through resonate with the Dark Wavelength.

"Hrg….GRRAAAAH!" he cried, sinking to his knees as the pain rippled through his body.

"Erik, what's wrong?" asked Liz, who transformed and knelt beside him, a look of almost pure horror on her face. Erik was able to glance forward and see Minora doing the same thing as he was, then he said, "Liz…get back…" He tried to concentrate on releasing part of the Dark Reaper Seal, knowing that it was this protective Seal that was causing his current predicament. _"It's causing the power to reverberate through my body….tearing me up from the inside…I don't know what's happening…but I need to let some of this out before I…I don't know, explode or something…" _He glanced up and noticed Minora looking at him, her eyes glazed with tears. He tried to tell her with his eyes to do as he did, and from the weak nod he assumed she got the message.

_"Tier One….Release!"_ he thought, feeling the energy rush through him, his eyes darkening...but it wasn't enough.  
_"Tier Two….RELEASE!"_ he thought, concentrating and making the Seal release another level, letting more of the Dark Wavelength loose….but still, it wasn't enough. He glanced up at his partner to see that her eyes had also darkened, and from her grimace he could see that her teeth had begun to get longer, like fangs. She looked up, confused as to why the pain hadn't gone away.

_"One…one more…"_ he mouthed at her, to which she nodded and closed her eyes. Erik did the same and, with one final push, thought, _"TIER….THREE….RELEASE!"_ The power rushing through him felt good, and he felt some of his madness return from so long ago. He felt himself just…itching for a good fight. He shook his head, ridding himself of such dark thoughts, and took long, deep breaths; the pain was gone, and that was all that mattered at the moment. Liz helped him to his feet, while Sarah, a look discomfort on her face from what she was hearing, helped Minora up.

"Are…are you alright, Erik?" Liz asked quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah…yeah I'll make it. Minora?" he replied, smiling when his partner nodded her head.

"What's going on?" asked Black Star, the only person completely oblivious to the dark power that had just forced its way through the room.

"Something dark and dangerous…class dismissed," Mifune said, walking out the room, his goal being to find his charge and make sure she was alright. Kid followed, obviously going to tell his father what had happened, and Maka stood stone still by the window.

"Maka…you okay?" Soul asked warily, stepping up behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders. She glanced back and smiled, saying, "I'm okay…" before she looked out the window. She was sure that, if Kid had been looking where she was, her would see the same thing…and frankly it terrified her; lines of darkness, flowing across the sky.

**A Witches plan is finally coming to fruition! Not entirely sure how much longer this is going to be. Long enough. Please, review, as your feedback keeps me….SAAAAANE!**


	25. Chapter 26! Enter Witty Title Here?

**Disclaimer:**__**I do not own Soul Eater, much to my discontent. Also, special props go to all reviewers, you know who yall are.**

Erik walked down the hall towards the cafeteria alone, his music blaring almost loud enough for everyone else in the hall to hear. More than once he was tossed a strange glance from someone he passed, and he had a feeling that it wasn't from his music. He noticed it right after the incident in class earlier; the way the other students looked at him and his partner, like they were monsters. Not that he really cared, either way, but Minora was different. She wasn't weak, by any means; on the contrary, Erik was sure that she was stronger than he was, but from what she'd told him of her past (which wasn't much) that wasn't surprising. Still, he didn't want her to undergo any more stress than she had to…well, other than the whole affair with Liz. The thought of it sent mixed emotions through Erik: worry that their synchronization would be off because she was obviously jealous; anger that she would assume he was that kind of person; nervous because, truthfully, he had no idea what he felt at the moment; and, lastly, somehow happy that he was getting the attention. He was starting to feel like the teenager he was supposed to be, and frankly…he didn't like it. It was then, as this crazy list of things were going through his head, that he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes, and a familiar voice say, "Guess who?"

_"How can she jump from being the "tough girl" to….this?"_ Erik thought, and he said, "Speak of the Devil."

"Oh so you were thinking about me, huh?" she said mockingly, keeping her hands on his eyes, which he found increasingly annoying. Sarcastically, he said, "Yeah I was wondering how you can be so painfully persistent."

She released his head and pushed him playfully, saying, "Because I'm tough. And tough girls don't quit."

"Greeeeaat. Listen, I'm hungry so…can we move this to the cafeteria or something. Everyone else is already there, I think." She nodded, and they started walking, Erik ignoring the stares he was receiving while Liz glared back.

"God, what's with everyone all of a sudden," she said angrily, eyeing a girl that had given the two one frightful glare before hurrying past them, "I distinctly remember that girl staring at you before class started today.

"Well, this kind of thing happens when you almost kill a classmate" Erik stated plainly, receiving a strange look from the tall blond walking next to him. Quietly she asked, "What do you mean? You didn't almost kill Sarah. Hell most of the time you were avoiding her!"

"I didn't say I was talking about her."

"Minora then?"

"No, I almost killed you, Liz." Erik stated bluntly, and he heard Liz stop her next sentence short. He looked over to her, his eyes still dark and his canines still slightly elongated, since he hadn't had time to use the Dark Suppression to reinstate the released portions of the Seal. Then again, he had a feeling that, if he did, he would be on the floor again. Finally, he said, "Chances are, if I would have stayed connected with you in any way, the Dark Wavelength would have torn you apart. That's why I snapped our soul connection when you transformed."

There was silence between the two for a moment, and then Erik asked, "Where are Kid and Patti anyway? I assumed you'd be with them."

"Oh, Kid is still with Lord Death, as far as I know, and I think Patti is with him," she put a finger to her chin and looked up speculatively, "As a matter of fact…those two have been spending a lot of time together recently…hmmm…" After that, Liz and Erik just walked and talked about practically nothing until they reached the cafeteria, where the split, Liz going to pick out what she wanted and Erik went to find the others. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Liz stepped up to him with a full tray and said, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"No."

"Oh, well…alright. Everyone else is outside, let's go.

"Right." Seconds later, Erik found himself sitting against a tree with his eyes closed, his music loud enough for everyone to hear, especially Maka, who was sitting on the opposite side of the tree, reading. Soul was leaning against the tree next to her, chewing on a toothpick with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Minora was sitting at the nearby picnic table with Black Star, Tsubaki, and Liz, laughing and talking up a storm, which surprised Erik. Usually, Minora was so quiet around everyone but him, but today she was so…lively. _"Probably the Dark Wavelength,"_ thought Erik sullenly, his mind slowly shutting down, _"It changes our personalities…"_ He remembered the conversation they had the night after his fight with Kid and Black Star.

-"Erik, I think you should be more careful using the Dark Wavelength," Minora said as she sank into the couch, looking over at the little boy who was slowly falling asleep on the opposite end of the couch. Erik took his spot next to the door and let himself sink to the floor, his breathing slowing and his eyes closing as he began the tedious (for him, anyway) task of making the Dark Reaper Seal whole. Sure, during the battle he had only released one part of the Seal, but he had to admit that….he really sucked at using the Dark Suppression Technique. _"Of course Death would make a Seal that requires me to use __this__ technique."_

"And why do you say that, Minora?" asked Erik almost sleepily, partly because he was trying to concentrate and also because he really was just tired. He opened an eye and looked at his partner, who had a sad look on her face.

"Well…it changes you…makes you more violent…more reckless. Almost like you don't care whether you live or die."

"Truthfully I should have died a long time ago." Minora opened her eyes wide and stared at him, shocked that he had said something like that. He returned her gaze for a moment, and then went back to closing his eyes, saying, "I got into a fight a long time ago with Death, and I should have died. But he took pity on me or something and put me in a crystal," he said before coming back to what she had been talking about in the first place, "And I know it makes me more violent, but in a tight situation that can be a good thing. Don't worry about me, okay?" Silently, Minora nodded her head and stood, walking to her room, glancing back only once at the door. Erik went back to concentrating and heard the satisfying _click_ in his soul, telling him that he had successfully fixed the Seal.

"She's right. You should be careful, Erik," Danny said quietly, taking Erik by surprise; he had thought the boy had fallen asleep. Danny stood from his spot on the couch and looked at Erik a piercing gaze.

"Your soul is corrupted by darkness…without the full power of the Seal in place, your soul will slowly break until…"

"I know Danny," Erik interrupted, the boy starting to scare him a little; he knew that Danny was different, but it was still disturbing when he was like this.

"I was just saying. Anyway, I'm going to bed now, nii-chan."

"I'm not your 'nii-chan.' Night."-

Erik had never noticed the way his partner changed, but then again, her Pure Soul was probably part of the reason, as well as the fact that she didn't use the Dark Wavelength often. And who would blame her for it, honestly? After being under the influence of Count Dracula for so long, doing terrible deeds with such a terrible power, who would actually _want_ to keep using that power? But looking at her now, he could easily see it.

_"She becomes more outgoing, opens up more. That's good, at least here. It probably makes her a lot stronger as well,"_ he thought before closing his eyes again. Truthfully, he was more surprised at what he wasn't hearing; the loud guffaws and hollering of Black Star. It was strange, but he didn't worry about it as he quickly fell into a light sleep. It wasn't long before he found himself standing in the Inner Chamber. The darkness gave way to reveal his soul, and he had to admit that he was just a little surprised at the state it was in.

"It just looks so pathetic, doesn't? Ready to shatter at any moment," came the dark voice of Dracula nearby, and sure enough he emerged from the shadows, looking smug, almost triumphant.

"Sure," Erik replied, just wanting to go into a deep, or deeper, sleep.

"No smart-ass comebacks today, Erik? That's a surprise," said Dracula, the smile never leaving his face, and finally Erik asked, "Why so bright and shiny, Count? Thought vampires hated the light."

"Ah, there he is," Dracula replied with what sounded vaguely like laughter in his voice, "Why, don't you feel it Erik? The power? Only a matter of time now."

"Only a matter of time before what, Count?" Erik asked, but was answered only in a silent grin, and then the Count was gone. Erik stared at the spot the man was just standing, and then let out a long, frustrated sigh before saying, "Whatever. Don't tell me then. Now maybe I can really get some rest…" Unfortunately for him, this wasn't going to happen, as he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. He blinked open his eyes to see Kid, Liz, and Minora standing over him.

"Why…?" Erik asked, refusing to move from his position, despite the Reapers outstretched hand. Kid just moved his hand back and shrugged while he said, "My father wants to speak with you about….your condition." He looked around, not wanting to be overheard. He had done this any time he talked about the Dark Wavelength, and it was something that Erik had tolerated, until now.

"Kid, after this morning I'm pretty sure every person in Death City knows about the Dark Wavelength, and if not I'm pretty sure there will be a bulletin or something on the mission board, so you don't have to bother being all secretive about it, okay?"

"Oh…well alright. Anyway, my father has requested your presence either way."

"And what about Minora? She has the Dark Wavelength too."

"Oh I've already been to talk with him…you've been sleeping here for an hour now. Besides," she blushed a little and looked behind her toward someone, "I'm going to go hang out with Black Star and Tsubaki tonight." Erik took a look to his left, catching Black Star standing against a wall nearby, before Kids leg got in the way, and he said, "Yeah, no problem. Anyway, Death wants to talk to me…right now?"

"The sooner the better."

"Fine," Erik said forcing himself up, cracking his back routinely as Kid began to walk away towards the school and Minora went to meet up with Black Star. Erik couldn't help but feel just a little bit jealous at the sight, but immediately dismissed the feeling.

"Nice that she's getting to know you guys, too. Wouldn't want her to become a hermit or something," Erik said, looking over at Liz, who was now walking next to him with a concerned look on her face. Finally, she said, "You still look terrible." Erik laughed and said, "Yeah, can't keep asleep for the life of me."

"Maybe it's 'cause you haven't been sleeping in a bed. Couches and trees don't seem like the most comfortable places to sleep."

"You kidding? That's the best way to sleep, if you ask me. I don't even have bed at the apartment."

"Oh, well then maybe you could sleep in mine," Liz replied, seeming to take a chance, to which Erik said, "Ha! Persistent to the end. Nice try, though." They bantered like this the entire walk, even Kid joining into their conversation after a while. Erik actually enjoyed himself for a while, but deep down he knew that it wouldn't last. Nothing good ever lasted, after all.

**Strange ending, I know. Just an FYI, updates on all of my stories are probably going to slow down now that I'm back on campus. Busy semester, you know. As always, Read and Review, they're much appreciated.**


	26. House Party! The Beginning of the End?

"I take it you, like Minora, felt the Dark Wavelength that passed through this morning?" Lord Death asked, his tone no longer light and buoyant, as it normally was. Instead, his voice was dark and menacing.

"Yeah. Had to release most of your little Seal before it killed me, you know."

"Yes…about that…" Lord Death said thoughtfully, then with one quick and fluid motion, one of his giant hands was on Eriks chest, and he felt white hot pain jolt through his body. When it was over he found himself on his hands and knees for the second time that day, panting as the pain slowly subsided. Liz was kneeling next to him, her hand rubbing up and down his back reassuringly. Kid stood behind them a ways, leaning against the wall. Patti was there with him, as she had been waiting for them at the door.

"Don't you think that was just a little harsh?" Liz asked as she helped Erik back to his feet, to which Lord Death replied, "Maybe, but with the rate he uses the Dark Suppression technique, this method was far quicker. The Seal should be one-hundred percent now, and the main part of the Dark Wavelength surge from earlier today is over, so you shouldn't have any problems with the resonance you felt earlier, right?" Erik nodded, scratching his chest, which had begun to itch intensely.

"Is that all you called me in for, Death? I'd like to get some sleep in this day, if you don't mind." Erik asked in an annoyed voice. Lord Death shook his head slowly and said quietly, "If only that were the only reason. No, I'm afraid there's more."

"I figured. I take it it's got something to with Dracula too."

"Several vampires, actually," Lord Death replied casually, which got Eriks attention immediately, He hadn't known there were others who called themselves "vampires," and he certainly didn't know that there were other practitioners of the Dark Wavelength. Silently, he allowed Lord Death to continue.

"I see that caught your attention, Erik. Yes, Dracula is involved, along with three other unidentified "vampires." From the details given to us by Sid, each individual has a Dark Soul, and each is incredibly powerful. It seems they used another Dark Soul of much greater power than their own, along with the mechanisms left over from the battle at Baba Yaga's Castle, to amplify the Dark Wavelength from this soul and send it across the world. As is to be expected, pre-Kishin activity has been steadily rising since this morning." Erik held his chin in his hand and took in all of this information, then said, "I take it Lilith is involved?"

"Yes, it seems the Shining Witch has aligned herself with some rather dark figures," Lord Death said quietly.

"I'll be ready to go by morning." Erik said, causing Liz to gasp, Kid to look up, and Lord Death to scratch the back of his head.

"Eheh…well, that's going to be something of a problem," Lord Death said, his voice returning to its normal tone, "You see, due to the circumstances…I can't allow you or Minora to go anywhere near Baba Yaga's Castle. Granted there…IS a mission posted, but it's just too dangerous for just anyone, which is why I've decided to send only some of the best Meister and Weapon Pairs the Academy has to offer."

"In other words, Maka and the others," Erik began; somewhat angered that he was being forced to stay behind. He had a score to settle with Dracula, and he didn't want to be left out of something important like this, "Can you explain why I'm not allowed on this mission? After all I am one of your more powerful assets."

"Hm…while this is true, your power is held back somewhat by the Seal, which is ironically why you are not permitted to go on this mission."

"I don't have enough power?" Erik asked, confused, to which Lord Death answered, "Oh, that's hardly the case at all. No, the Seal is the reason…well, that and the Dark Wavelength."

"I'm afraid you've lost me, Death."

"Well, that shock this morning is part of it; the resonance between the Dark Wavelength within you and the Dark Wavelength coming from the Dark Soul will be too great for you to bear. Granted, the worst part of it was this morning, but now, the closer you come to the source, the more resonance there will be. It will slowly eat away at the Seal, until…well…it's gone. Without the Seal you won't survive ten minutes before your soul also becomes a Dark Soul."

"And that's reason enough to keep me from the mission?" asked Erik, somewhat angered.

"Yes," Lord Death said with an air of finality, and said, "Well, that's all for now. Kid, Liz, Patti; you, as well as the others, will be leaving by way of a jet for the mission first thing in the morning."

"Of course, father."

"Okay, well, if that's all, then goodbye children!" Lord Death said jubilantly, and before Erik knew what was happening, he found himself outside the Death Room, silently fuming. His friends would need his help, especially against enemies that could be just as powerful, if not more so, than Dracula.

_"Death makes a good point, though…"_ he thought, slowly beginning to calm down, _"My power won't mean a thing if I'm consumed by the Dark Wavelength…still…I can't just wait around for them to come back…"_

"Erik?" asked a female voice beside him, and he looked up to see Liz, as he had all day. She had a smile on her face, but just beneath the surface he could see uncertainty and fear playing across her features.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking her in the eye, and smirking when she looked away; she couldn't look him in the eye for more than a couple of seconds. But, then again, nobody really could. After a moment she said, "Well…Black Star and the others were thinking about throwing a little party at their place. Nothing big, just the normal gang. You know…get together before the mission tomorrow." At the mention of the mission, Erik saw her lips twitch down into a quick frown before her smile returned.

"A party?" asked Erik, skeptical. He wasn't much of a party person. In fact, he didn't really feel like being social at all (he was really looking forward to his spot on the floor at this point.)

"Yeah, a party," Liz said, ignoring Eriks skepticism, "Everyone will be there; Sarah, Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, even Kid. Wanna come? You can be my date, eh? Eh?" she finished, trying to make the idea sound more appealing. After a moment of thought, he said, "Ah, what the hell? Not like I won't be able to sleep all day tomorrow, anyway."

_That Night, Black Star and Tsubaki's Apartment_

_"This was a stupid idea…"_ Erik thought as he stood uneasily against the wall, a tall, clear glass of amber colored liquid in his hand. Black Star had, through some means Erik would have rather not known, acquired not only a keg (which he hefted with one arm as if it weighed nothing) but also two bottles of vodka, one large bottle of whiskey, and two cases of beer. Erik didn't much care for alcohol, but he cared for beer, the vile liquid in his hand at the moment, even less.

Other than him, Erik could see that Liz had been correct in saying that all of the gang would be there; Black Star and Tsubaki were there, obviously, as well as Kid, Patti and Liz. Chrona was there also, sitting and talking with Minora and Tsubaki in hushed tones. Erik was somewhat relieved to see that Minora had gone to her normal quiet self, but he couldn't help but notice the little looks here and there toward Black Star. He knew it wasn't fair for him to be jealous, but he was all the same. Oh well, he'd have to get over it. Black Star himself was sitting on a couch, with Liz to his left and Soul to his right, with a small coffee table in front of them. Maka was sitting in a recliner with a book propped open on her knee, oblivious to what her boyfriend (they had apparently announced it that day) was doing. Sarah was sitting in another chair on the other side, seemingly distracted by something. Erik had a feeling of what it was, but didn't speculate any further on the matter.

"ALL RIGHT!" exclaimed Black Star, slamming his shot glass down on the table, his voice slurred and his cheeks scarlet, "THAT'S ANOTHER WIN FOR ME!"

"Gah…dammit..." Soul said, his voice also slurred. Erik chuckled as he watched, knowing he was bound to have a terrible day tomorrow. Hopefully, though, the hangover would be gone by the time the flight ended. Liz herself was pink in the face also, but she seemed to be holding up much better than both Black Star and Soul put together. Meanwhile, Kid watched the proceedings much like Erik was, only without the drink in his hand, and Patti was standing behind her sister, cheering her on as they began their drinking game all over again. Overall, everyone was having a good time…except for Sarah, who was now making her way slowly and deliberately toward him, as if she were attempting to keep her balance. Sure enough, just as she was about to reach him, she stumbled and nearly fell flat on her face, if it wasn't for Erik catching her shoulder.

"Thanks…" she mumbled, turning and resting her back on the wall, letting out a sad sigh, which was something Erik wasn't accustomed to. In an attempt to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Erik said, "I think I've seen you take maybe one drink out of that glass over there. How on Earth are you this off balance?"

"Shut up…" she said quietly, and Erik looked at her seriously. She turned her head away and he stepped to the other side, and said, "Okay, you're acting all…mopey. What's up?" She tossed a glance in Soul and Maka's direction, the latter of which had moved from her spot on the recliner to the couch, next to Soul, who had wrapped his arm around her waist and was looking at the book still open in her lap, though Erik doubted he was actually reading it like she was. Erik noticed that Soul's free hand was fitted comfortably in one of Makas. It was at this point that Erik made the mental connection, and looked back to see Sarah staring enviously at them. _"She's jealous."_

"Come with me," Erik demanded, taking her hand and, putting his drink on a counter as he made his way out, led her to the hallway. Once there she leaned against the wall and looked away, tears quietly making their way down her dark cheeks, and Erik stood next to her, his hands buried in his pockets. He knew he wouldn't have to say anything; she'd start up in a few seconds. Sure enough, he heard her let out a breathy sigh and say, "It's not fair."

"What's not fair."

"Don't play dumb!" she snapped, turning to him, the anger in her eyes belittled by the sad expression on her face, "You saw them in there!" Erik looked at her, his eyes bored, and he said, "Yeah, I did. And that's none of my business." At this Sarah looked like she might've struck him down right then and there, but instead she just huffed and turned away, crossing her arms over her chest, saying, "Why am I even talking to you, the Master of Indifference? You don't care about any of us anyway!" Erik was hurt, but he didn't show it. Instead, he said, "If I didn't care about you guys I wouldn't be here. And I wouldn't be going on the mission."

"Well you're not, so that's that." Sarah replied, her voice going from anger to concern in a heartbeat. Apparently Minora had filled her in on what would happen. Then she did something he hadn't expected: she hugged him, and he could feel from the sudden wetness on his shirt more tears were falling. Tentatively, he hugged her back as she said, "I…I'm sorry…it just…hurts…y'know?" Quietly, Erik said, "Don't worry about it, things will be alright, got it?" With a loud sniff and a smile, she said, "Yeah…I think I'm going to go back inside now…you coming?"

"No, I don't think so. Not my kind of thing." Erik replied, turning to walk down the hall as she opened the door. Before she stepped (or maybe stumbled) in, she looked back and said, "Oh…sorry I wiped my nose on your shirt." Then, she was gone. Erik looked down at his shirt with a look of disgust and said, "Damn it all…she really is a light-weight…"

As Erik made his way down the hall, he thought about the upcoming day._"Some of them may not come back tomorrow…"_ he thought, walking slowly, his hands deep in his pockets. He felt sad that he couldn't be there to help them, and he was sure Minora felt the same. _"I need to find a way to be there, regardless of what may happen…"_ He knew Minora would tell him not to do anything rash, like sneaking aboard the plane before it can take off, but he also knew that she would follow him no matter what he did. Despite the sudden romance Erik had been noticing between she and Black Star, he knew she would still do anything for him. The thought made him smile, but it faded as he yawned.

_"I'll find a way to be there, even if it means I might lose my soul….after I get some sleep…"_ As he entered the apartment, he felt a presence behind him. His first reaction was to attack, and he turned to face his would be opponent. However, instead of the attack he had been expecting, Erik felt two arms wrap themselves around his neck, and fingers entwine in his hair, before he was pushed back by whomever was now basically bull-rushing him backward in an awkward stumble. He felt his knees connect with the side of the couch and lost his balance, falling back and feeling the light weight of the person currently kissing at his neck settle on top of him. For next few moments all Erik was aware of was the hands still running through his hair and the lips continually pressing themselves against his neck. It was at about the time that the aforementioned hands stared kneading at his shirt, attempting to remove it, that Erik snapped back to his senses, grabbing the assaulting hands and looking up at the person on top of him, annoyed that he had been taken off guard so easily. He could just barely make out the thin figure of a woman, with long hair. From the light shining in through the window he could just barely make out the face of Elizabeth Thompson, who was looking at him with questioning eyes.

"And just what the hell are you doing?" Erik asked, trying to sound angry but failing as the girl was able to move her head down and continue to attack his neck despite her wrists being held away from him. He pushed on her wrists, her fighting to get her hands back on his chest giving him the chance to push her up so that she was at least sitting, and he repeated, "What the hell are you doing, Liz?"

"What I want," came the reply, vaguely slurred. Erik was surprised he couldn't smell the alcohol on her, but rather a smoky smell that reminded him faintly of burning wood and gunpowder, which actually wasn't all that unpleasant.

"Yes I can see that," Erik replied to her response while he pushed some more, slowly working his way out from under her. She could tell what he was doing, and fought back all the harder for it.

"Liz…dammit…knock it off," Erik said, finally getting the leverage he needed. With his superior strength, Erik was able to push her off him entirely, knocking her on her back while he pinned her wrists to either side of her head. Granted, this position wasn't much better, but at least now he had some form of control. Liz pouted at him and asked innocently, "Why'd you stop me?" The way her hair spread out around her shoulders, as well as the way she was looking at him, was distracting, but he ignored it and said, "Well, for one, you're drunk."

"Am not."

"Don't argue. And two, if you really wanted to be with me, you wouldn't want it to happen this way."

"It's not happening this way though…" she said sullenly, and Erik hung his head in frustration, saying, "Then what is happening, Liz?" She looked up at him and he saw tears build up in her eyes before she said, quite clearly, "I…just wanted…one night."

"One night?"

"I'm afraid, Erik. More afraid than I've ever been, which is saying a lot since I grew up on the streets of Boston. But this time it's different…it's not like when I'm scared that I might die…or that Kid might die…or Patti…all of which could very well happen tomorrow. But I'm ready to face death…for my little sister…for my Meister…but…"

"But?" Erik asked, his hold on her wrists weakening as she poured her heart out to him. She had yet to let a tear fall, but Erik knew it would happen at any moment.

"But this time…that's not what I'm afraid of…Erik…I love you…I have since the day you saved Patti and I from the Count." Eriks grip loosened a little more, and she took her chance to free her wrists, and she began to run her hands up and down his arms underneath the sleeves of his duster, "And now…I'm afraid that I'll never see you again…and that I'll never be able to know what real love is supposed to feel like…and that I won't get to say goodbye…" When she finished a single tear fell, and she turned her head away trying to hide it.

Erik was touched. No…more than that; he was absolutely stunned. The only other time he had been this stunned had been when Minora had done this very thing, and he knew that he couldn't tell Liz what she wanted to hear, and it tore his heart out, just like it had then. She must've noticed the look on his face, because she reached up and cupped both of her hands on his face. They were cold. Surprisingly so.

"You're so warm…" she began, distracted for a second, then said, "I know you can't say it…you've told me before and I know. And I can live with that…but…" She was interrupted by a chuckle, lighter than she had been expecting.

"You don't have to continue Liz…I understand…and it's not that I don't like you…it's just complicated…" It was Eriks turn to turn away, but when he did she forcefully turned his head back. She was smiling.

"I said it's okay, dummy. And…since I seem to have convinced you…" she said, pulling him down into a kiss, and this time he didn't resist her.

_The Next Morning_

Sarah entered the living room, ready for the mission that lay ahead. Danny was waiting for her just at the end of the hall, also ready. Yesterday he had told her he wanted to go as well, which she had refused until she saw the determined look in his eyes. He had that same look now. Entering the living room proper, she saw Liz and Erik, Erik resting with his back to the couch, his head in her lap. Liz sat with him, running his hair through her fingers. Both of them were covered with blankets, which Sarah had provided them with when she had finally come in the night before. She barely remembered what happened, but she remembered the feeling of awkwardness, seeing as how it looked like all Liz was wearing was Erik's shirt at the time.

"It's time to go," Sarah said, noticing that at least she was dressed in her own clothes. Liz looked up at Sarah with a small smile and said quietly, "Yeah…" Then, she leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead before moving his head off of her lap and standing, nodding curtly to Sarah and Danny before they all left. Outside, they were greeted by Death the Kid and Patti.

"The plane leaves in thirty minutes. Ready?" Kid asked, his tone serious.

"Yeah, let's go!" Sarah said enthusiastically.

"All we have to do is get Black Star and Tsubaki. Maka and Soul are already waiting for us." Then, Kid summoned Beelzebub, and left it in front of the door, much to the confusion of the others. He just nodded and walked away, and they shrugged and followed him without question, but even so the same question was on everyone's minds, _"What is he planning?"_

_Black Star and Tsubaki's Apartment_

Minora woke slowly; feeling the rays of the sun hit her face from the nearby window. She had stayed with Black Star that night, and she had to admit that their relationship had proceeded in a way that she hadn't found unpleasant at all. Black Star, despite all of his loud boasting in public, was actually a little shy, especially around her, she found. He had offered to take the couch after everyone else had left, but she told him it was okay if they slept in the same room. After all, weren't they a couple, now?

_"I wonder what Erik would think if he knew we were sleeping in the same bed…"_ she thought, looking over at the happily snoring ninja lying next to her. She had seen the way Erik had looked at them every now and then, and she had to admit she felt kind of bad about it, but then she shook those thoughts away. _"Erik may get jealous but he already told me no. Besides…Black Star is so cute when he's not around everyone else."_ A knock at the door caught her attention, and she heard Tsubaki on the other side say, "Everyone else is here. Black Star, it's time to go." This woke Black Star, and he got up quickly, full of energy, despite his just waking up.

"All right! Let's go vampire hunting!" Then, he looked over at Minora, who was eyeing him curiously with a sly smile on her face, and he blushed, saying, "Aha…I'll be back okay?" Then, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving, making her blush as she timidly said, "Oh…heh..okay…" She knew that she shouldn't be so nervous, but he had taken her by surprise, and she was left sitting on the bed alone. Then another thought occurred to her, something that Erik had said before the party,

_"I'm going to help them…no matter what happens."_ Remembering this, her eyes flew wide and she stood, rushing for the door. She had to stop him before he did something rash.

_Apartment 312_

Eriks eyes opened wide and he knew instantly knew that something was amiss. First of all, there was no longer the sensation of fingers running through his hair, something he was kind of disappointed about, since it had felt good. And second, the apartment was much too quiet. Granted, from the clock on the wall Erik could see that it was only 6:30 in the morning, and Sarah usually woke up around 7:00, but even then he could usually hear her breathing. But not this morning.

"They didn't!" Erik said, jumping up and grabbing his shirt and duster and putting them on roughly, ripping the left arm off the rest of the way on his duster. _"Dammit all,"_ he thought as he wrenched the door open and took that first step out, throwing the torn piece of leather behind him, only to find his foot landing on something that shouldn't have been there. Something with wheels.

"Son of a—" was all he could accomplish before whatever was under his feet flew out from under him and crashed against the wall, sending him on his back.

"Erik are you all right?" Minora asked, concerned. It was then that he noticed her walking down the hall, and he said, "Yeah…just dandy…" She helped him to his feet and he cracked his back, then he looked down to see what it was that had tripped him up. When he found it, he let a wide smile spread across his lips, showing his teeth. Minora looked at him curiously as he picked up the skateboard and held it under his arm, walking away. After a moment, he turned back and said, "Coming?" She was about to tell him not to go, and she knew that she could keep him from going, but when she saw the fire in his eyes, she knew that she was going to follow him, because he was her partner, and because she would do anything for him.

_The Death Room_

Lord Death watched through his mirror as Erik sped off through the sky on _Kid's_ board. He grumbled in frustration, which caught Spirits attention.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, stepping up to look at the image. Lord Death gazed at his Death Scythe for a moment and then said, "It seems that my Kiddo-kun has done something very wrong…what could he be thinking, giving Erik that board."

"Huh…." Spirit said quietly, "Erik…disrespectful little punk…"

**And there it is. Sorry it took so long, I've been busy. Hope you enjoyed it, and if I offended anyone, they can deal, can't they?**


	27. Finale 1! Arrival?

**This one is coming close to its end. Sad, I know right? But don't worry there will be a sequel, of this I can promise you. I don't own Soul Eater, of course, but I do own this story.**

"Glad you could make it," said Stein, watching as the children stepped off the small jet, adorned with skulls down the sides and on the wings. Kid was the first to depart, with Liz and Patti trailing behind. Following them was Soul and Maka, both looking tired, which was understandable; they hadn't slept much the previous night, and they had slept even less on the flight. Next were Black Star and Tsubaki, the former of which stretched and was, if anything, full of energy while the latter of which yawned and followed her Meister. Lastly, Sarah and Danny stepped down, both with their faces set in determination. As they gathered around the stitched Meister, Stein grinned wide and said, "How was the flight?"

"Boring," Soul replied, yawning as he snaked his hand into Maka's, who squeezed it gently. "A lot worse than last night, for sure."

"Yeah!" Patti piped up, full of energy, "Haaahaha! Big sister got _luuuuuuuuccccckkkkyyyy!_"

"Shut up, Patti!" said Liz, blushing and grabbing her sister in a headlock, covering her laughing mouth with her hand. Patti continued to laugh and, since she wasn't done talking, she licked her older sisters hand.

"Eeeeewwww, Patti! That was gross!" Liz said pulling her hand away and wiping it off while Patti continued, "Isn't that why you left the party last night, ane-chan? To go see Erik, right? Right?"

"I said shut up Patti!" said Liz again, putting her hand back and holding it there despite her younger sisters attempts to free herself. Everyone else looked somewhat shocked, except for Sarah, who suddenly burst out laughing, and Black Star, who gave Liz a thumbs up and said, "Way to go, Liz!" Amidst all this was Stein, who had lost his smile and had lit a cigarette, said, "Well, at least some of us had fun last night." His insanity had calmed after the first outburst of Dark Wavelength, but that didn't mean it had completely subsided. And since the dark power was still flowing out from Baba Yaga's Castle, he had a feeling that is wouldn't completely subside until all this was over.

"Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, because it very well may be the last night of fun you all have for quite a while," said Sid, stepping up beside Stein, along with Nygus, who was currently in her human form. He looked at the group before him and then continued, "This mission is going to be unlike anything you've faced before…"

"Hey, that's not true!" Black Star interrupted, "Me and Kid fought Erik not too long ago, and he was using the Dark Wavelength. And we kicked his ass!" Kid joined in at this and said, "Yes, I did find that that his performance was somehow…lacking; especially considering that when we fought Dracula it seemed that the power coming from him was practically endless." Sid merely sighed and looked to Stein, who threw his mostly unsmoked cigarette on the ground and stomped it out.

"Compared to the raw power of any of these 'vampires' and their Dark Souls, Erik and his Dark Wavelength are probably about as strong as a single ant in comparison. Granted, this is largely due to the Dark Reaper Seal holding back most of his power, but the fact still remains that a fully realized Dark Soul is much more powerful than we thought. And with the power leaking from that place, I'd say they're strength has increased ten-fold, if not more."

"Excuse me, Professor," started Maka, as if she were in a class, "But you keep saying 'they' and a moment ago you said 'vampires.' Do you mean to tell us that there is more than one person with a Dark Soul?" Soul looked over at his partner and smirked, though what he was thinking was a mystery.

"Yes, that would be the case. From what I can feel out, there are at least four powerful vampires in the castle, all of whom are Meisters…if they can be considered Meisters. Other than these vampires there is one other, though his Dark Soul is nowhere near as powerful as the others…probably just newly turned. He is a Weapon, though I cannot determine what type. I'm afraid my Soul Perception is rather limited at the moment. I'm sure you can feel it as well, can't you Maka?" Maka nodded her head in agreement. Ever since they had arrived, Maka had felt a sort of pressure, something ever present that dulled her senses, and kept her from using Soul Perception efficiently. It was then that Sarah piped up, "I can feel it too, Papa Stein. Well…feel isn't really the correct word is it…it's more like…"

[The constant sound of wind in her ears, or maybe the sound accompanied by a blaze]

"…like the sound of a raging fire, all around us. I can barely hear anyone else's Soul Wavelengths like this."

"What about Witches? Were there any Witches there?" asked Soul suddenly, his tone very serious. Stein laughed, a soft sound with just a hint of hysteria to it, before he said, "Well, Soul Eater Evans…I think you already know the answer to that question. Soul nodded, a small frown on his face, which was quickly dismissed when Maka gave him a knowing glance before giving his hand another gentle squeeze. However, just as easily as it had been banished, the frown returned when she turned her head back to face Stein, giving him a glimpse of the scar (which had faded more than he had expected in the short time she got it) on her shoulder, just visible from the part of her neck not hidden by clothing. _"That Witch…I'll make her pay."_

"Well, that's enough dawdling. If anything good can be said about this, it's that it won't be a full scale assault like last time," Sid proclaimed, referring of course to the battle with Arachnophobia not all that long ago, "We move out in ten minutes, so take a little time to get prepared. Once we get there, there's no turning back."

_Baba Yaga's Castle_

"Dracula, why do we sit here and do nothing, now?" complained Nikolai, sitting on a fallen pillar with his back against the wall, his hands behind his head. He had traded his warm clothing for some provided by Dracula, who seemed prepared for any occasion. Nikolai now wore a sleeveless black shirt that clung tightly to his chest and a pair of camo cargo pants. On his feet he wore nothing, and on his head he had kept his goggles, showing a head of unruly brown hair that extended just below his ears. His face was covered in similarly colored stubble. He had a bored expression on his face.

"I want to _do_ something! If I had known we would be lounging around here for days I would have brought more vodka." It was then that Nikolai reached down and grabbed an unlabeled bottle which held a small amount of clear liquid in the bottom, which he quickly drained and put back on the floor. Lestat shook his head and muttered, "Disgusting habit."

"He does have a point, though," said Erzsebet, looking just as bored as Nikolai, "We've gone forward with the plan, and the original Dark Soul is once again at its peak power. Why do we not make our move on Death City."

"Because it is not yet time," Lilith said with a smirk, her crystals still floating in circles around her, "And besides, we have company, don't we Equis?"

"Yes we do, Mistress," stated Equis calmly, sitting with his legs crossed next to her, "It seems that a team from the DWMA has arrived. They'll be arriving within the next hour or so." Dracula looked at the Weapon with what could almost be called pride and said, "You truly are exemplary with the Dark Perception, my child. More so than even myself." Equis stayed silent, while Nikolai stood with a wide smile on his face and said, "Well, if they are so close then let us give them a proper greeting shall we!" Then he marched out of the building through the large hole in the wall and literally began climbing, until he reached the very top. Though the sun was hot and bright, the "vampire" didn't care; all that was in his mind at the moment was the thought of destruction. Below him he knew the others were watching with mild amusement as he said, "If we kill them all now, we won't have to wait anymore, right?" Then, he held his arms high above his head and let his Dark Wavelength, augmented by the power from the Dark Soul he knew to be directly below him, and summoned forth his power.

"By my Dark Desire, they shall find destruction!" the Russian boomed, purplish black fire gathering into a large ball over his head. The intensity of its heat was enough to rival the sun, but it did not burn him; his own power could not bring any harm to him. With an effortless heave, Nikolai threw the ball, now nearly gargantuan in size, down into the forest below, breaking into different pieces and flying all about the forest as it did so. Soon, the whole forest was ablaze with red and black fire, while Nikolai stood with a triumphant, and near sadistic, grin on his face, which faded to a frown when he noticed a black dot in the sky. "The hell is that thing? Eh, doesn't matter." Then, flame engulfed his hand and he flicked it, sending the black fire flying at the unknown object.

Down below, Lilith watched with her own smile, and said, "That's a little overkill, isn't it?" Erzsebet didn't look at her, but said with her own smile, "The Dark Destroyer, Nikolai. He does tend to overdo it sometimes, but there advantages to it. Like destroying those children just now, for example." Lilith nodded, but Equis, still sitting where he was before, his eyes closed, said, "No. He missed."

"Well, I suppose there are…disadvantages as well."

_Outside Baba Yaga's Castle_

Sid was the first to notice, if only because he and Stein were walking behind the rest of the group. Something moving high above, through a gap in the trees, caught his attention. The sun was blacked out for a moment, and when he looked up he gasped and yelled, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN, NOW!" His exclamation couldn't have come at a better time, for as soon as he said it, the ball of black fire came down with a mighty crash, sending flame and debris flying in every direction. The heat was incredible, turning the balmy jungle into an inescapable inferno. And as if this weren't the least of their troubles, Sid, Nygus, and Stein were separated from the rest of the group by the rapidly spreading fires.

"Maka!" Soul cried above the roar of the flames, answered almost immediately by his partner, who was coughing through the smoke, "I'm…right here!" Similar conversations were being held as everyone righted themselves.

"Gah, it's so damn hot!" yelled Black Star, holding his arm up in an attempt to shield himself from the heat of the flames.

"Yeah," agreed Sarah, wiping her brow and panting, holding a long, jagged edged scythe, which was Danny in his weapon form. Unfortunately, this form hadn't helped him with the heat at all, "Still, whoever heard of black fire?" Danny appeared momentarily in the blade and said, "Maybe it's those vampire's that are doing it?"

"Whatever the case," said Stein from the other side of the flames, just barely visible, "We need to regroup. It's obvious they know that we're here, so we can't wait around. You all move forward."

"But what about you, Papa Stein?" asked Sarah, worry lacing her voice.

"We'll be fine, and we'll find a path around the flames. We'll get to you as soon as humanly possible…" then, as he began walking away, "Oh, and don't die."

_The Skies Above Baba Yaga's Castle_

_"How does Kid manage to fly this thing all over the place, anyway?"_ thought Erik, barely keeping his balance on the board. Behind him, his duster flapped noisily in the wind, while Minora stayed in her weapon form on his left arm. Despite his initial discomfort at ripping the left arm off of his jacket, he had to admit that it had proven useful: now he could wear it and fight, something he was sure Soul would consider "cool."

"Maybe you should take a break Erik," began Minora, her face appearing on the blade of her weapon form, which was currently flipped back in its normal position, "I mean, we've been flying for a while now."

"Don't worry about me, Minora," Erik replied, holding his arm in front of him in order to see her, "This thing isn't all _that _hard to control, and besides we're almost there."

"Yes, but don't you feel it, Erik? The Dark Wavelength? It's everywhere….all around us…" Minora said quietly, her eyes downcast, to which Erik replied, "Yeah…yeah I can feel it, too. Resonating in me…in you…all of it coming from that castle. You think it's that ball on top of the castle that's doing it?" Minora shook her head and muttered, "No…whatever it is, it's coming from the inside…oh my God!" At that, Erik looked down and saw the ball fly up into the air, if only for a few moments, before it went crashing into the forest below, destroying a large portion of it.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Erik as the power from the ball sent a shockwaves through the air that nearly knocked him off the board, "Was that thing made of…fire?" Minora didn't reply, but then again she didn't have the time to, for as soon as he said that Beelzebub was struck by something, and it began to plummet.

**Sorry this is so short I'm a little off. Hope you enjoyed it somewhat.**


	28. Finale 2! The Vampires Attack?

**Alright, I'm trying to get my stuff out of the way but I've got ideas coming left and right. Stay on the lookout for a Zelda fic in the future, and I've had ideas for two sequels to "Heart and Soul" soooo…yeaaaaah. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one.**

_Eriks POV_

Erik coughed before he got onto his feet, his partner's cries ringing in his ears. She was still in her weapon form on his arm, so he was confident she wasn't hurt. Based on the pain in his chest and his right arm, he was certain he had at least one or two broken ribs and probably, from the feel of it, a dislocated shoulder. The latter he could deal with, gritting his teeth and quickly popping his shoulder back into place, but the former he couldn't. Clutching at his ribs he took his first look around, noticing that wherever he had found himself was dark and metal, judging from the metallic clank he was hearing with every step. Looking up, he saw one source of light, a man sized hole in the ceiling.

"Guess that's where we came in," said Minora quietly from his side, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Erik, hiding the pain he was enduring just from breathing. That, and the power of the Dark Wavelength was so strong here, it was quite literally taking away his breath, and he could feel the Dark Wavelength within him fighting against the Seal, and he was sure that Minora was going through the same. He even thought about releasing some of it, but thought better of it: if Minora could handle it, he could.

"Looks like we fell through the roof of part of the castle…" Minora stated quietly, "We'll have to look for them from here." Erik nodded as he walked, until his foot came into contact with something on the floor…something with wheels. He was, however, expecting to run into this little snag at some point, and stopped, leaning down to pick up the board at his feet. Amazingly, the thing seemed to be in perfect condition.

"Why are you holding onto that thing?" asked Minora as he continued walking, following the flow of the Dark Wavelength around him. He knew that as long as he followed that, he would eventually find either an exit or the source of the Dark Wavelength.

"Well, I figure it's only right to give back the things you borrow, right?"

_In another part of the Castle_

"I don't understand. Why couldn't we just go in through the big hole in the wall outside?" asked Black Star, making no attempt to hide his presence. Maka and Sarah both looked at him angrily before Maka said, "Don't you think you could at least try to keep it down?" He was about to make an argument out of it when he heard Kid say, "Coming in through there would have been like coming in through the front door and saying, 'Hello, we're here to kill you.' That kind of approach would be as suicidal as it would be imbecilic. And while we're on the subject, it would be wise of you to have Tsubaki transform." There was silence and a brief flash of light as Tsubaki transformed, and Black Star could be heard muttering, "Yeah, whatever."

_Black Stars POV_

_"Man, what's their problem? I could've come through here on my own and killed all of them with one shot, easy."_ Black Star thought grumpily, Tsubaki in his hands, in her Kusarigama form. Lazily, the young ninja looked around the hall they were currently walking: a dark thing made mostly of metal and stone. The floors were littered with rubble, and in many places the path before them was obstructed, making them take another path. Needless to say, by the end of the day they would be nice and lost. Black Star sighed and glanced to his left, down another hallway, and stopped, seeing something. Down the hall, a tall, beautiful brunette took slow, deliberate steps, but stopped when she noticed Black Star. She wore a silver dress that seemed to shine, despite the lack of proper lighting, and mist could be seen swirling in behind her, reaching up past her knees. Black Star couldn't see her eye color from where he was standing, but he could see the seductive smile on her ruby red lips, and she made a slow come hither movement with her finger as she seemed to slowly slide backward, until she faded from existence. Black Star stared after her for a few moments, but was brought back to reality when he heard Tsubaki say, "Black Star, we're falling behind. Is something wrong?" He shook his head and looked to see his friends had stopped and were staring at him.

"Did you see that Tsubaki?" asked Black Star, to which his partner appeared in one of the blades and shook her head, "See what?"

"…nothing…let's go." Black Star answered, as they continued their trek. Maka and Sarah both said something about the Dark Wavelength flowing through the place, but he couldn't feel it, and he was starting to think that they were just full of it.

_Black Star_

Did he really just hear that? A voice? A woman's voice, soft as velvet, and perhaps the sweetest thing he had ever heard. No, he must have been imagining things.

_Come to me Black Star_

Okay, he definitely heard it that time. Definitely a woman's voice. Was it the woman he had seen before? Could it be anyone else?

_I'm waiting for you, Black Star_

This time, the voice seemed to be coming from the left, down another passage, and the call was too irresistible to bare. Silent as the assassin he claimed to be, Black Star darted down the passage, leaving his friends behind while Tsubaki quietly protested.

"Black Star, what are you doing?" she whispered to him, to which he replied, "Don't worry about it I know what I'm doing."

_Sarah's POV_

The group had been walking through the castle for a while now, and with each step the sound surrounding her was becoming more and more unbearable.

[The sound of a raging inferno, growing louder and louder, surrounding her]

Maka said something to her, but she couldn't hear it. She concentrated on tuning out the sound around her so that she could hear her cousins words.

"Sarah what's wrong?"

"It's the Wavelength…" replied Sarah, looking back at her cousin and smiling weakly, her face changing to one of shock when she noticed that one of the members of their party was missing. She scowled and stepped back, passing Maka and Kid respectively as she looked either way down other passageways, before stomping and saying, "Damn that Black Star! Where could he have gone this time? Kid didn't you notice he was missing?"

"Uh…I _did_ notice the silence a few minutes ago…but I just assumed Black Star had learned to be quiet."

"Like that would ever happen…dammit why did he choose now of all times to disappear?" Sarah exclaimed, scowling. The mixture of the sound coming from the Dark Wavelength and this newest development was really starting to give her a headache. Finally, she clenched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and muttered, "You know what, screw it. Let's just go without him. He's tough, he'll be fine." Then, she began to walk again, Kid and Maka walking ahead of her to avoid her obviously growing temper. Danny said nothing, allowing his sister to fume silently.

After a while the scenery changed from the monotonous hall to a larger room, willed with cots, some standing upright but most overturned or broken in some way. There were no windows, but the room was still lit faintly with electric lighting hanging from the ceiling. There were four passages in this room, one for each wall. As they walked, keeping their path straight (Maka and Kid both said that they could see the Dark Wavelength coming in more strongly through the forward path) Sarah heard the wavelength of another presence, and a strong one at that.

[The sound of a blaze in the background of a Ukrainian Lira, which sounded as if it were being played in a drunken frenzy rather than by a musician of any talent.]

As they approached the center of the room, Sarah felt a rush of heat from her right, and when she looked she saw something approaching them, and fast. "Watch out!" she cried, pushing Kid, who had been next to her at the time, forward and jumping back into a roll herself, just barely avoiding the wall of black fire that sped by, crossing the entire room and flying down the passage opposite of the one it had come from. The flames stayed, blocking Sarah from the others.

"Gah, I missed!" came a voice from down the hall to the right, and Sarah looked to see a man standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and a wide smile on his face, "You guys are harder to kill than I expected." Sarah took one look at the flames and said, "Well, maybe if you could _aim_ you'd have more luck, hm?" The man laughed heartily at this, but didn't move. Sarah had turned to him and was holding her scythe in front of her defensively.

"Sarah, hold on we'll find a way to help!" she heard Maka yell from the other side of the fire, but she replied, "No, just keep going! I can handle this guy. After all," she said, smirking at her opponent, "seeing how this guys aims, this won't take long anyway." He smiled wider at this and replied, "Ahh, I like it when my prey has some fight in it: makes this more fun with me!"

"Ane…" said Danny, his face appearing in the blade of the scythe, filled with uncertainty. Sarah looked at his image and said, "Be strong, Danny. Let's get this guy." Silently, her brother nodded and disappeared, and she began her assault.

_Kid's POV_

Kid had reluctantly followed Maka down the hall, the two now sprinting down the hall, knowing that they were coming close. Because of his Soul Perception, Kid was able to see the faint purplish mist surrounding them, as it had in the castle in Transylvania, and because of this he knew they were going the right way.

"You think she'll be okay?" Liz asked as he ran, trailing Maka while avoiding rubble.

"Sarah is tough. She'll be okay."

Soon, the pair came up on another room much like the one before, on there were no other passages beside one, a large door that was broken and hung open a small bit. At this door stood another man, dressed to fit an early time period, and in his hand he held a saber comprised completely of Dark Wavelength. The man had a very serious look on his face, and with authority he said, "I take you are here to fight with Lord Dracula."

"Yes," said Kid formally. He could see the Dark Wavelength seeping out from the open part of the door as if it were a miasma. The man before them took a less relaxed pose and said, "I suppose introductions would be in order. No reason to be uncivilized. My name is Lestat, the Undefeatable. And you all are?"

"I am Death the Kid, and my partners are Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson. Forgive them if they don't greet you themselves." Kid said, playing along with the vampire. Lestat smiled and said, "Oh, it's perfectly fine. And you, young miss?"

"Uh…" began Maka, taken off guard by what was happening, "I'm Maka Albarn…and this is my partner, Soul Eater Evans."

"Charmed. Now, I suppose we should begin…unless there are any questions before I kill you?"

"Yeah," said Soul, partially transforming so that he could face the vampire, "What was all that about being unbeatable?"

"I am called Undefeatable because my skill with a blade is unmatched by any mortal man. That, and my Dark Desire gives me this power."

"Dark Desire?"

"That which all we of the Dark Soul possess. The Dark Soul takes this desire and manifests it into that which we want the most. This is the Dark Wavelength. As you can plainly see, my Wavelength takes the form of this saber, capable of cutting through anything, and as I said, my skill is unmatched. But that is enough for explanations. Are you all ready for death?"

"Wait." Kid said, stepping forward. Lestat gave a frustrated sigh and said, "What boy? You try my patience."

"Two on one isn't very fair. I request a duel with you, and you allow Maka to go forward. If what you say is true, I'll be dead before she can get very far, and you can take her as well, correct?" Lestat seemed to ponder this for a moment, and then said, "You think I am a fool? Still, a gentleman never refuses a duel…all right, I'll humor you. Even if I do fall the girl won't stand a chance against Lord Dracula." Then, Lestat stepped to the side and said, "Go on, girl."

Maka and Soul looked at their friend, who nodded for them to continue on without them, and reluctantly Maka began to walk, to Soul's protests.

"Maka, we can't just let him take this guy alone."

"We don't have much of a choice, Soul. We have to trust his judgment on this one." And with that, they were passing through the door, and into a room so saturated with the Dark Wavelength that she could barely see. Within the darkness she heard a deep voice say, "Well, it seems…that we have company."

**Bam. Take that, chapter. Read and review…I'm tired so I can't banter all that much…but please I hope you enjoyed.**


	29. Finale 3! Black Star

**Alright here comes another one. Sorry it's been taking so long with updating but school is really beating me up lately.**

Black Star darted down the halls with reckless abandon in his search for the beautiful woman he had seen, and with each step her voice grew louder in his head.

_Come to me, I'm waiting…Black Star_

Meanwhile, Tsubaki tried everything in her power to stop him from continuing. She tried reasoning with him at first, but her words fell on deaf ears. Every time she said something he replied with the same basic response, "I have to find her" or "she's this way" but in all honesty Tsubaki had no idea what he was talking about. She hadn't seen any girl at all, besides the others, and now they were far behind, somewhere in the castle. Finally, she had had enough and she transformed out of her Kusarigama form and, while keeping her hair a chain, wrapped it around him, causing him to slip and fall.

"OW! HEY WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA TSUBAKI!"

"You're acting like a fool is what!" she replied, angry that her partner had led her through this castle after some girl that she knew didn't even exist, "Who are you chasing after that's so important?"

"I…don't know her name…" said Black Star seriously, his head down, then he lifted his head and smiled wide, "But she's beautiful, and she's waiting for me!"

Tsubaki felt her jaw drop when she heard this, but then set her jaw and said, "And what about Minora, I thought you were in a relationship with her?" Her anger only intensified when he began to laugh, low at first but then so loud that his voice was echoing off the wall and she was sure they would be found at any second.

Finally, after a good few minutes of laughter, Black Star said, "You thought I was chasing after some tail or something? Are you serious? What kind of GOD goes chasing girls around?" Then, he began laughing again, and Tsubaki just stood there in shock.

"So…why are you chasing after this woman then?"

Black Star looked at his partner and said, with a triumphant grin on his face, "She was trying to outshine me! I'm going to show her just how handsome a god really is!"

Tsubaki stood and stared at her partner slack-jawed, before she began to chuckle to herself. _"That was all he wanted? Was to prove that he was more attractive than some woman?"_

"Yeah and," Black Star continued, "There's a good chance she's one of these 'vampires' or something. Anyway, you mind letting me up Tsubaki?" Regaining her composure, not that she had actually lost it in the first place, Tsubaki unraveled the chain around her Meister and helped him to his feet. He rubbed his nose with his finger and then caught her as she retransformed and landed neatly in Black Stars open hands. Then, he was off once more.

Within minutes, the duo found themselves in a wide open room, and both saw very different things.

_Black Star's POV_

The room was vast, and lit by several candles all around. Near the wall at the back of the room was a rather spacious bed, bug enough for at least fourteen people. The sheets and pillows were a rich scarlet color. The carpeting was the same. The rest of the room was adorned with the items one would expect to find in a grand room such as this: a gargantuan closet, no doubt filled with extravagant clothing, a large vanity mirror with several different kinds of cosmetics along its counter. There were no windows, so the only light coming in was from the candles. Upon the bed lay the woman he had been following, still clad in her silver dress as she lay on her side, a sly and seductive smile on her face.

"There you are, Black Star. I've been waiting for you."

_Tsubaki's POV_

Because of her heightened sense of perception, Tsubaki could tell that there was something…off about the room. From her place in Black Stars hands, she could see the room he was, but something was off about it, as if it were warped in some way. Closing her eyes, she slowed her breathing, concentrating on seeing through whatever deception was in place, while Black Star took a step forward. After a moment, her eyes were opened to the truth.

The room was lit with torches, the flames barely smoldering. The room was grimy and dead looking, empty save for a single lever on the opposite wall. Standing next to this lever was the woman that Black Star had been talking about. She was indeed very attractive, and dressed in a silver dress. Her hand rested on the lever and a truly evil smile was spread along her lips, her eyes wide and seeming to glow a deep red color.

"That's right Black Star, come to me."

"That's right, I've got something to tell you, lady, so listen up!" proclaimed Black Star, stepping forward arrogantly. The woman only smiled wider and pulled the lever, allowing a pitfall to open in the middle of the room. Inside were rows of spikes, one or two with impaled skeletons upon them. Tsubaki gasped in horror as she realized Black Star was unable to see this.

"Black Star, what are the Three Rules of Assassination?" she asked him, thinking quickly. She had an idea, and she desperately hoped it would work.

"Why? She already knows I'm here."

"Just go through the steps!" she cried, noting the frustrated look on the face of the vampire before her. Black Star stopped his walking and began to recite the rules.

"One: Blend into the shadows….control your breathing…..wait for your target to let down his guard," he said, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing until it was just barely audible.

"Come Black Star, this is pointless. I've been waiting so long," said the vampire seductively.

"Two," continued Black Star, oblivious, "Tune in to your target: Predict his thoughts and actions." He could feel her wavelength from here, and could see how it worked. He also felt something all around him, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"Three: Strike your target before he notices you!" he cried, snapping his eyes open and charging, only slightly disoriented by the sudden change in scenery. He planted his foot firmly at the edge of the spike pit and leapt, raising his weapon high as he flew through the air, and then bringing it down as he landed before the woman. She took a quick and graceful step backward, despite her wearing high heels, and smiled a wide, toothy smile that looked almost as insane as it did deadly.

"A nice try, boy, but I'm afraid you're simply too slow to best me. Not very beautiful, either. Too bad, I guess I'll have to bathe in another's blood. How about your partner?" she asked, her tone sweet and alluring, but the look on her face was something malicious and, if it were anyone else, just plain scary. But it wasn't just anyone else. It was Black Star.

"You won't have to worry about that one! I am the Almighty Black Star! No one is more beautiful than me! Bask in my shining glory!"

"Er…Black Star…?" Tsubaki muttered, embarrassed that her Meister had just said something so…well…embarrassing.

The woman before them merely laughed and said, "So bold for one so young, but I told you before, you are simply too slow." Then, the woman was gone, only to be heard just inches from Black Star's ear a moment later.

"See what I mean?"

Black Star felt a hand, nothing more than a hand, on his back before he was sent flying forward, a feeling that was both electric and burning pulsing through his body before he crashed into the nearby wall.

"Black Star!" cried Tsubaki as she transformed and helped him to his feet.

"Oh, I was so very right about you dear. So young! So exquisitely beautiful! Yes, you're blood will no doubt bring me beauty. Might I ask your name before I kill you?" Tsubaki glared at the woman with anger spreading across her features.

"Call me Tsubaki Nakatsukasa."

"Charmed dear. I suppose it's only fair that you hear the name of the most beautiful being in existence before you perish. Listen well, children! I am Erzsebet! The Blood Countess! The Dark Illusionist! My Dark Desire is to be the most beautiful being known in this world, and with your blood my dear, I will achieve this."

"I told you…" said Black Star, straightening up as he smiled back at Erzsebet, "It is my blood that will make you beautiful!" Then, he held out his hand for Tsubaki, who face- palmed at his ridiculous statement before she began to glow and transformed into the Kusarigama, landing in his hands.

Black Star didn't have much time to prepare as Erzsbet vanished once more, this time coming up along his side with her hand extended out to spear him, and he knew that from the look of those nails that it would probably kill him. As quickly as he could, he ducked out of the way of the blow and wrapped the chain of his weapon around her arm, then pulled, using all his strength to flip her over his shoulder. The attack was successful at first, but as soon as she hit the ground on her back, she was gone again, freeing her arm from the chain easily. For the second time, Black Star was launched away, feeling the burning electric current pulse through him for a moment.

"My but you are persistent," she mocked, allowing him to get to his feet as she crossed her arms and watched him, "How long do you think you'll be able to last, Black Star?" He didn't answer her, but instead smirked at her and said nothing. Her own smirk dissipated, and then turned to a scowl when she noticed that the boy was no longer holding one end of his weapon. Looking down she saw that it was sitting just at her feet.

"You're the second person to fall for this one!" he cried triumphantly, whipping the chain and raising the other end into the air, attempting to cut her in half. Once more, she smiled, and with speed faster than lightning she grabbed the weapon before it could do any more than scratch at her dress.

"Sneaky," she said, before Tsubaki began to cry in pain, "Maybe my Dark Wavelength will teach you to fight fair, hmm?" Before he knew it, Tsubaki was back in her human form, all the way where Erzsebet was standing, holding her up by the throat. Her cries were cut short as the woman tightened her grip, and small trails of blood began to ooze down her neck. After running her tongue along one of these trails and closing her eyes at the taste, Erzsebet glanced up at Black Star and said, "Fetch."

Before he knew it, Tsubaki was thrown like a rag doll toward the spike pit, and he took off with all his strength, moving at speeds even he wasn't sure he could attain, and leaping across with his arms open to catch his partner. They collided in the center, with Black Star catching her and just barely making the jump before rolling into his landing, being mindful not to hurt his partner. He lay her down on the cold stone floor gingerly and she looked up to him with tears in her eyes, pain still coursing through her.

"C'mon let's take this bitch down, Tsubaki!" he said to her, but she did nothing. "Tsubaki?"

"She can't transform, boy. My Wavelength is making sure of it. Granted, it won't last long, but neither will this battle. Are you ready for death now?"

Standing, Black Star glared back at his opponent, his pupils replaced with white stars, "Yeah, let's get this over with," he said menacingly, his voice dark. Erzsebet only smiled on, waiting for him to make the first move. This was her first mistake.

Like she had been doing, Black Star had managed to vanish from her sight, only to appear seconds later ducking down in front of her, his fist raised and flying for her abdomen, a ferocious snarl on his face. She sidestepped out of the way, the attack meeting air, and then she too vanished, appearing on the opposite end of the spike pit. While all this happened, Tsubaki had managed to slowly hobble to the wall, where she was now leaning and holding her throat.

"My, what a surprise. You actually do have some bite to you. But it won't matter. Dark Wavelength, Gather!" Erzsebet cried, and as the words left her lips, Black Star felt a rush of dark energy fly past him, toward his opponent. She was surrounded for a moment by a dark aura before it dissipated, leaving her standing there looking stronger than before, her fingertips now covered by black talon-like claws.

"Are you ready, Black Star? I certainly hope so," she had, her voice dark and dripping with malice. Then, she was gone, Black Star just barely able to react before she could take a chunk out of his side with her claws. He was too slow, however, to dodge the next attack, which even then only caused a small graze on his arm. The effect, however, was immediate.

Right after being struck, Black Star watched as the scenery before him changed once more, this time into a dark room. Before him stood Tsubaki, holding a pair of Kusarigama and looking at him with menace.

"Tsubaki?" he asked, only to be answered by one end of the weapon spinning toward him. He sidestepped out of the way, but was surprised to find that his partner had charged him while he was busy, and buried the other end in his gut.

"Black Star!" he heard a little ways away, and at this he knew it was just another illusion. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he was able to snap himself back to reality, only to find his true opponent standing just in front of him.

"Surprise!" she said joyfully, digging her claws into his gut before sending him flying back against the wall, and sending him into another illusion, this one more vivid than the one before it.

Black Star was standing in a room, his to be exact, and standing before him was Minora, looking at him with sad eyes. It took all he was just to keep from walking to her and holding her, since he never liked to see her look sad.

"This is just an illusion…" he said, trying to concentrate and free his mind, but it was no use as she spoke back to him.

"What's an illusion Black Star? Why won't you look at me…did I do something wrong?" she asked as Black Star turned his face away from her, only to feel her warmth next to him seconds later. He looked down to see her crying, and just faintly he could hear Tsubaki once more,

"Black Star! She's coming you have to fight back! Do it! Now!"

Black Star stood with the silently weeping girl in his arms, trying to force himself to attack, to strike her away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, until finally, it was too late. He felt the claws dig into his throat before the image before him faded, showing Erzsebet standing just before him once more, this time with her hand around his throat.

"You don't mean to tell me that this is the best you can do?" she asked sweetly, closing her fingers tighter so that he couldn't reply, "Oh well, I suppose your blood will taste fine, then I can move on to your partner." Black Star struggled against her at this, but it was no use, and soon black spots began to appear in his field of vision. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he heard the vampire before him screech in pain and drop him to the floor. Taking his chance, despite his foggy mind, Black Star concentrated his Soul Wavelength like Erik had taught him and struck, his hand curling into a claw as he dug it into her gut. He felt his wavelength pierce through into hers, but something was off about it: like there was a thin layer just on the surface. This didn't last long, however, as he again used too much power in his attack and the two combatants were sent flying in opposite directions, Black Star colliding with the wall behind him and Erzsebet flying to the other side of the room. Tsubaki, who was in Shuriken Mode at the time, transformed and landed on the ground in a kneel while the vampiress flew through the air, before she made her way to her partner and, once again, helped him to his feet.

"You little bastard!" cried Erzsebet, standing. Her form had changed dramatically after his attack. Her body seemed to have aged a hundred years or so, and her hair had become something gray, thin and wispy. Black Star recalled the feeling he had felt while he used the Soul Ripper on her, and he suddenly had a burst of true insight, something that only happened every once in a while.

"I get it now: why you desire to be beautiful. You've lost all of your youth, and your wavelength allows you to create illusions to fool others into seeing what you want them to see. But I bet it doesn't work on you, does it? Every day you have to see what we're seeing right now: an ugly old woman."

"Shut up you little pest!" The desire to murder the young ninja before her was clear in her burning eyes, and silently she said, "You'll pay for your words boy. I may be old and…undesirable, but you still will not win this battle! I'll have your blood!" Then, with an otherworldly screech she charged the pair, leaping the pit easily, her hand clawed and still covered in darkness. Silently, Tsubaki transformed, choosing Enchanted Sword Mode of her own volition, and Black Star also charged. As Erzsebet attacked, he sidestepped, catching her gut with his free hand.

"You're speed was just an illusion as well, wasn't it, Erzsebet?" he asked, his tone serious and somewhat mocking. She didn't answer, so he continued, "Vampire or not, I won't lose. I am the man who will surpass God!" Then, with a great heave, he launched the woman into the air, flying high over the pit. Just as she was about to fall in, Black Star leapt with incredible speed and power, hi blade passing through her easily. He landed on the other side and Tsubaki, despite the very tense atmosphere as the vampire faded away into darkness, leaving a glowing violet soul in her place, said, "You're really starting to like those dramatic one his kills, aren't you?"

"Well," Black Star said as he turned back to look at the peculiar soul behind him, "No normal victory would be great enough for me! I'm the greatest warrior in the whole world….and the most beautiful!"

**Crap ending, right? Wrong. Hope you liked, and sorry for taking so long to update, but college is getting kind of hectic. Spring break is coming up soon, so I might be able to update more then. Here's hoping. **


	30. Finale 4! Sarah Albarn

**Here comes another battle. Will good triumph over evil? Or will the Dark Wavelength claim another victim? Only time will tell! Oh, and this one is dedicated to webidolchiu94, since this is her character that I'm using. Also, I'm adding an attack and I hope she doesn't mind too terribly. Then again, if she does I can change it.**

Sarah back-flipped away as another ball of black fire flew past her, nearly catching her hair in the process.

_"Wheeee! This Is SOOO much fun~!" _Kikami proclaimed in her mind, and Sarah could practically see her jumping up and down, clapping her hands like child. The staff of her scythe made a loud _"Tink!"_ as it came in contact with the stone floor, which was currently covered in black char marks from this crazy vampires random flames.

"I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up, Ane…I'm sorry it's my fault…" Danny said from his scythe form. Sarah could tell he was getting tired, but she couldn't let up. She felt Kikami come forward and fought her back. She wasn't about to let her fight this guy.

"My my, but aren't you a swift one, little girl. I haven't had fun like this in years!" said the vampire before her, a sadistic smile on his face as flames came began to sprout back up from his hands, as well as fly back from the various places it still lingered in the room.

"It's not your fault Danny. Let's get this guy!" Sarah said before leaping forward and spinning her jagged edged scythe expertly as she closed the distance with her foe. The vampire meanwhile began to throw flame to and fro, not really aiming as he grin became an insane laugh, his eyes shining blood red. Sarah swung the scythe in her hands with precision, making the flames disperse before they could hit her, and each time she felt the Dark Wavelength course through both herself and Danny, the sound of it deafening.

[Roaring flames that sounded as if they were destroying everything, drowning out the wavelength of the vampire]

"Ane…it hurts…" Danny said, and in the blade of the scythe he appeared, looking somewhat battered, with a small amount of blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth.

_"Just let me fight him, Sarah! I can protect little Danny from that wavelength of his, and I get to have a little fun! C'mon! C'mon Sarah!"_

Looking at her little brother, Sarah decided that Kikami was right…she had to protect Danny from this power, and she couldn't do it without Kikami's help. As much as she didn't want to, she let herself fall back, allowing Kikami to take over. Everything took on a purplish hue for a moment, before everything returned to normal. However, now Sarah was no longer in control of her body. Her eyes closed for a moment, and when they reopened, her eyes were purple, and a wicked smile spread across her lips.

"Aaaaahhh…it feels so GOOD to be in control again!" Kikami said gleefully, holding Danny high and stretching her arms above her head. The vampire merely watched with amusement.

"It seems that the little girl has been hiding something from me," then, he frowned, "I feel as if I know you from somewhere…tell me, what is your name, dark child?"

"I'll ignore your RACIST comment, for the time being. My name…is Kikami! And I'll be the one taking your soul today. Too bad…you're wavelength is…mmmmm."

_"Ugh…don't say those kinds of things with my body!"_

The vampire smiled and said, "Well, your name doesn't ring any bells for me…but your attitude certainly does. Hmm…too bad I suppose." The vampire took a step forward, but Kikami began clucking her tongue at him, causing him to stop and cock his head to the side in confusion.

"Ah ah ah…you still haven't told me your name, big guy."

"Oh, of course," the vampire smiled, showing his sharp fangs, "but I don't see why you would want to know in any case: you're about to die…a slow…painful death. My name…is Nikolai! The Dark Destroyer. I only have one desire…my Dark Desire…to destroy this world…and everything in it!" With that said Nikolai raised his arms to the sky and began to laugh, a deep throaty laugh that reverberated through the entire room. From his hands the dark flames began to spread, running down his arms, and burning at the fabric of his sleeves. He looked down at the woman before him with an insane smile on his face, his crimson eyes wide.

"Well, now that the introductions are all out of the way, can I kill you now! Ahaaa…ahaahaahaahahaaa!" Without any more warning, Nikolai struck, sending a wall of black flame at her. She merely laughed at him and begun to spin and weave her scythe in a complex pattern, dissipating the flames that reached her, but not before it singed some of her flesh, which healed quickly.

"Interesting. A healer?" said the vampire, sending more flames to his opponent, who continued to block them.

"Please, like I would spend my time healing?" Kikami answered before darting away from his attacks, appearing just inches in front of his face, "I'm more of an…in-your-face kinda gal, y'know?" Then, with a back-flip, she kicked him just under the chin, sending him flying back. He was clearly caught off guard, but he began to laugh as he lay on the cold stone floor, the flames on his arms making black marks on it.

"Now we have some fun!"

Now it was time for Kikami to be caught off guard, and she frowned as flames erupted around her.

"Let us see how long you can survive, eh?" Nikolai said, slowly standing and wiping a small amount of blood from his lip. Within the flames Kikami attempted to shield herself with her wavelength, with minimal success. At this rate even Danny was beginning to feel it.

"Ane…"

_"Kikami what are you doing?"_

"Oh shut up you'd be dead already if it wasn't for me!" Kikami replied angrily, gritting her teeth as she concentrated on staying alive. Finally, she lost her temper and burst from the flames, her scythe glinting maliciously, despite it being blackened from the flames. Her clothing was singed and smoldering, but she didn't care. She had snapped. Lost it. She rushed the vampire with a vicious and insane battle cry.

"YOU THINK I'M GOING TO GO DOWN SO EASY? NYAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M GOING TO CHOP YOU UP INTO TO LITTLE PIECES!" cried Kikami, swinging her scythe with reckless abandon while her wounds healed. Nikolai moved fluidly, dodging each attack with ease, and for the first time the whole battle he said something insightful.

"You attack with too much anger, young one. You don't plan out where your attacks land, and you miss. A pity, since you seem to have quite a bit of strength." Then, Nikolai caught the staff of the scythe and caught the flailing girl by the throat, keeping his flames from burning her flesh.

"That and you leave yourself open to attacks such as this one." With a sadistic smile, the vampire forced his wavelength through her, something that hurt both Kikami and Sarah.

_"Gaah! Kikami do something! Do something you crazy bitch!"_ cried Sarah from her place in the back of her own mind (something that was incredibly surreal in its own obvious way) while Kikami dropped Danny, who transformed and rolled away from the flames that were jumping up from the vampires feet.

"Ane!" he cried, changing his arm into a scythe and charging forward, only to be knocked back by Nikolai's other hand.

"Don't think that dull little blade will hurt me, boy!" the vampire snarled, looking at the little boy on the floor angrily, and by doing so giving Kikami a chance to strike.

"SOUL FORCE SLASH!" she cried, flailing her arms wildly, cutting up his arms and torso, destroying the shirt he was wearing and causing him to drop her with a pained groan. She rolled away as well, kneeling beside Danny with her hand out, an insane smile playing on her face.

"So much for that "I attack with too much anger" stuff, huh? Let's go Danny boy!" she said, but got no response from the young boy.

"Danny boy?"

"…I don't like fighting with you…I want to fight with Ane…" Sarah found the boys honesty touching, but Kikami wouldn't have it.

"Pah, fine then. I'm not giving up my chance to do some damage!" With a flash, another scythe, this one with a bone white handle, appeared, and Kikami leapt forward, sending one of her Soul Force Slashes flying at the vampire before she swung, which barely caught him and took away the rest of the shirt, revealing a strong upper torso covered in flame tattoos. His chest was covered with cuts, which were rapidly healing.

"Well, you certainly look a lot better than you did a few moments ago, handsome~!" Kikami said as she swung her scythe again, catching him in a diagonal on his chest, the wound healing in moments. Sarah shuddered on the inside at the very sound of her voice saying those words, and even Danny gave her a strange look.

"How very kind of you, little one. But I'm afraid flattery will get you nowhere." Nikolai answered,, scratching the now flawless skin where the wound had been moments before. The vampire had a wide grin on his face, and he said, "I think this has gone on long enough. I believe it's time for you to…die. Dark Wavelength, Gather!" Kikami felt the Dark Wavelength saturating the area around her rush forward to her enemy, causing the tattoos on his chest to glow a dark violet while the black flames seemed to be absorbed into them. On his head, a pair of short horns made purely of the Dark Wavelength. With each exhalation black fire came from his mouth and nostrils. Even his voice took on a more sinister, evil tone.

"Look upon me, the Dark Destroyer, and know true despair! I will take you, and this entire world, to the Abyss!" With that, the vampire, or maybe he had become a demon, took a deep breath in and released, black flame shooting from his open mouth as if he were a dragon. Kikami jumped to the side to avoid the attack and sent one of her own at Nikolai, another Soul Force Slash filled with her own dark power. The attack hit him, but he didn't flinch, and it didn't even leave a scratch. He laughed heartily at her attempt.

"You try to fight fire with fire? No darkness can hurt me, foolish little girl!" the vampire said cockily, more flames spouting from his mouth with every breath.

_"He may be right, Kikami. We need something that can take him down. We need the Anti-Demon Wavelength!"_ Sarah cried, attempting to come forward, but she was blocked by Kikami's will.

"No! I can kill him! He's mine Sarah, back off!" Kikami argued, attacking with her scythe, moving with inhuman speed, only to be matched by Nikolai, who laughed at her every attempt. Soon, Kikami lost it again, swinging with reckless abandon and pumping each attack full of her Soul Wavelength, while Nikolai merely stood and took it with a smile on his face.

"WHY...WON'T….YOU….DIIIIIEEEEE?" Kikami cried, her voice taking on the tone of a whiny child. Time and time again she brought her scythe down on her opponent, but it never cut through his skin. Finally, he yawned, mocking her, and once again caught the staff of her scythe. He gave her a bored look with his crimson eyes as he did so.

"Are we done here, little one?" he said before he lifted her off of the ground, she desperately keeping her grip tight on the scythe in her hands. Then, he tossed her, a seemingly effortless motion that sent her careening into the nearby wall, cracking the stone.

"Ane!" Danny cried, going to her side. Sarah had taken her chance with Kikami's moment of weakness and had regained control of her body. The second scythe was still in her hand. Sarah coughed up a little bit of blood, purple in color, before she stood and said, "Yeah Danny…I'm okay. Now that I have my body back we can finish this."

Danny nodded to his sister as she held out her hand, and he once more became the jagged edges scythe. Sarah held the two scythes to her side and let her soul resonate with Danny's.

"Let's kill this creep, Danny!"

"Right!"

"LET'S GO! SOUL RESONANCE!" the two cried in unison, their power spiking as they resonated. The blades to both scythes transformed into large, halberd like blades made of incandescent light. The energy coming from them was immense, and for the first time since Nikolai had gathered his power, he showed signs of concern. Black flames erupted from his tattoos and surrounded him as he brought his arms back to gather up his power for a finishing blow.

"It is time we ended this little girl! Prepare to die by the hand of Nikolai!" he cried, but Sarah merely looked him in the eye with cold determination, her scythes out to her sides.

"Dark Destroyer Nikolai! Your soul is mine!" she replied to him, then leapt forward, swinging her scythes from either side like a pair of sheers, while Nikolai shot his arms forward and released all of his power into a single wave of flames. The force between the two attacks was near equal, and was enough to keep Sarah airborne as she continued to force her attack through the flames to her enemy.

"Just give it up girl!"

"Grrrrr….TWIN WITCH HUNTER!" she retorted, pushing all the harder and cutting away at his attack. She could feel him put more strength into his attack, but she knew that he was through. With a final push Nikolai's attack, made of almost pure Dark Wavelength at this point, was dispersed by Sarah's Anti-Demon Wavelength, and her own attack grazed his chest in an X pattern. It was just a scratch, but it was enough. He stumbled back against the wall as the horns on his head faded, and his tattoos stopped glowing, and he smirked.

"So…you have strength…but killing Dracula is no easy task…I've tried it…" he said as his body began to disappear in lightly burning black fire, starting at his feet and slowly climbing, "He isn't…one to take lightly, even with that little trick." The vampire looked down and noticed a near empty bottle of clear liquid. Smiling, he sunk to the ground and picked it up, taking a quick swig and grimacing at the taste.

"Augh…water. Curses. Oh well. I'm sure they'll have vodka in hell!" he said, his tone surprisingly light despite his quickly fading person. Now it was only his upper torso remaining. Sarah merely looked on, her weapons now held at his throat.

"Shall I end the Destroyer once and for all?" she asked him, her tone grim. Nikolai merely laughed and batted the weapons away.

"Just because I die doesn't mean that you end the Destroyer. There will always be those who wish to kill…to destroy. Maybe it will be the other you that takes my place, eh?" were the vampire's last words before he was completely overtaken by the flames, leaving nothing but a violet soul floating in his place.

_"Eat it, Sarah, and gain the power of the Dark Wavelength for yourself!" _Kikami said, _"After all, doesn't the title Destroyer just sound so exciting? I'd love to take his place!~"_ Sarah ignored her, and with one fluid movement slashed the soul in half, making it wink from existence. She slowly began walking away, her goal the source of the sounds of battle not too far away.

"Ane…do you think the others are all right?"

"Heh…" Sarah began, letting her brother retransform as the other scythe disappeared, "If these vampires are as weak as he was, then this fight's already over."

**Bam. Hope you enjoyed it. Quick message regarding "Heart and Soul," I'm going to update that one next, but I'm really trying to finish this one out as well. Also, I have two or three more story ideas cooking so we'll see how things go. I hope this wasn't too bad. Stay tuned!**


	31. Finale 5! Death the Kid

**Sorry for the delay in updating, I was having some technical problems that have been fixed thanks to certain people. Anyway, onward!**

"I must say you are quite the formidable opponent, even if the odds do lean a bit in your favor," Lestat said, brushing his shoulder with his free hand. His dark saber was still in his other hand. The vampire looked up at his opponent, who was standing with his pistols crossed and upside down in front of him. His face was calm.

"You know, I did offer to put my guns down and fight you hand-to-hand," Kid said, not lowering his weapons. The vampire before him merely laughed and raised his free hand to his cheek, scratching it.

"No, as I told you before I'm quite alright with fighting a foe at a distance. It gives me something of a challenge, and you've no idea how long it's been since I've had a decent challenge. Besides," he smiled wide, showing his fangs, "those wavelength bullets of yours may sting a bit, but they keep my suit intact, something I've been meaning to thank you for, actually."

"Don't bother," said Kid, before he began popping off shots, which Lestat immediately began to block with his dark blade, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

"How rude of you! You couldn't wait just a few more seconds to die?" said the vampire, taking slow deliberate steps forward as he moved his dark blade fluidly, none of the shots getting through, "Not that it truly matters. These bullets of yours do nothing to me, except sting. Damage-wise, they are completely ineffective." Kid continued to fire, increasing the speed to the point that his shots sounded more like a single machinegun rather than two pistols. With a quick flourish and sidestep, Lestat was able to do something incredible. Kid didn't know how it was possible with just a swing of the vampires blade, but he was able to slow the shots to a stop almost to the point that they were stopped. Then, with another flourish, the shots reversed, headed straight back at Kid.

"Kid watch it!" Liz cried, and Kid jumped to the side, but the unexpectedness of this attack had caught him unaware, and one of his own shots caught him in the leg. He winced in pain but quickly recovered from his dodge, kneeling with both guns raised. Lestat was smiling again, something confident and almost a little scary.

"I take it you want to know how I did that, hm?" asked Lestat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. It seemed he was still somewhat sore about being interrupted earlier, "Perhaps I'll tell you if you apologize for interrupting.

"…he can't…be serious, can he?" asked Liz, appearing on the side of one of the pistols. She looked uneasy. Patti, on the other hand, merely laughed and said, "Hahaha…he's silly!" Meanwhile, Lestat scowled at them, until finally he seemed to lose it and he raised a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat loudly.

"Ahem, I can hear you, you know. It is impolite to talk about others behind their back. Don't you people have any manners? You know, it was people like you who made me want to become undefeatable, what with always judging someone for the way they dress, the way they talk, the way they carry themselves!" At this, Lestat went into a rant, and Kid realized that he must have some serious issues, maybe rivaling his own OCD.

_"That girder over there could be a little straighter….now that I…think about it…"_ Kid thought, but snapped himself out of it. Soon, while Lestat continued to rant about how a judgmental society drove a young, well mannered boy to a life of fierce competition, always striving to be the best, Kid couldn't take it and rushed to the girder, desperately trying to lift and move it, but he couldn't. Liz and Patti transformed, the latter of the two sitting on the stone floor and laughing her head off while Liz sighed heavily. This got the attention of Lestat, who stopped talking to look at the boy.

"Um…what…are you doing?" asked Lestat somewhat confused, and Kid looked over at him slowly, but said nothing. Then, he went back to trying to lift the girder. Liz sighed heavily before replying for him.

"He's a little…obsessive about symmetry."

"Hmm…well that's not good. I wouldn't want him to be distracted during the rest of our fight…" the vampire said as he walked forward. Liz and Patti both moved out of his way, but Kid was oblivious to his presence. With one hand, Lestat lifted the girder, snapping Kid back to reality as he jumped back, shocked, and rolled to his weapons, both of whom became pistols and landed in his open hands. Lestat merely looked at him before placing the girder symmetrically on the wall.

"It seems only right that this battle should be fair. Now, where were we?" Blinking, Kid stood and held his hands to his sides.

"Well, I suppose we were in the middle of a battle. You were going to tell us about that technique you used a moment ago. And I suppose after you fixed that girder you do deserve an apology."

"Ah yes. Don't get me wrong, though: I moved that girder so that you can fight without a distraction, and be a true challenge. And that technique is part of the power granted to me by the Dark Wavelength. How else would I have become undefeatable?"

"Sounds like cheating to me," said Kid, smirking a little.

"Well, you know what they say," said Lestat, stepping forward a little, "all's fair in love and war." With that said he struck, lunging at his opponent with his sword. Kid sidestepped and eventually had to jump back to avoid getting hit. Lestat was beginning to show his mastery with a blade. Kid began shooting but Lestat merely ducked and blocked his way to the young Reaper and attacked with a flurry of jabs and swipes, aiming mainly for Kid's throat. Kid stepped back with each attack, and at one point even using Liz, in her weapon form of course, to block the attack. ("Kid that hurt! What are you doing?" she had asked when he did so.)

"Hold still, boy!" cried Lestat as he became more vicious with his attacks, the jabs and swipes becoming faster and harder, and Kid was beginning to find that, despite his being a Grimm Reaper, he was becoming too slow to dodge them all. It was when his opponent's blade caught one of his cuffs and sliced through it that Kid, his symmetry ruined, retaliated. With a twist and a step, Kid was to his opponent's side, both guns pressing against him. Without warning or mercy, Kid began to angrily squeeze the triggers, sending shot upon shot into his opponent, who cried out in pain before jumping and flipping away, but Kid gave no quarter, pulling and pulling, until finally he said, "Liz! Patti!"

"Ready!" the two said simultaneously, and then all three cried, "Soul Resonance!" Kid's energy spiked as his soul unified with the souls of his partners. Dark energy, the energy from his Reapers soul, surrounded him as his arms were covered by giant gun cylinders. He knelt and got ready to fire, while Lestat watched with curiosity. His blade never lowered, however.

"Uh…Kid, he's not moving."

"Don't worry about it. Feedback?"

"Feedback at 3.7%, Kiddo!" Patti chimed in, happy as always, "Ready to fire in 5!"

"4" Liz continued, her voice still uncertain. Energy began build in the gun barrels, and the heat began to make the tips glow red hot.

"3" Patti laughed.

"2" Liz said, gaining a little courage as the power built to near uncontrollable levels. The barrels began to glow white with the heat being produced.

"1!" Liz cried, and Kid looked his opponent in the eye and said something that Liz would have expected Erik to say.

"I'm going to turn you into a pile of ashes, vampire! FIRE!" Patti and Liz joined in on the last word, and the power of the Death Cannon was released. Lestat smiled before he said, "Dark Wavelength, Gather!"

The blast from the Death Cannon slowed a bit as the Dark Wavelength returned to Lestat, his blade changing from a rapier to a massive scimitar that actually seemed to weigh the vampire down. Kid was certain that Lestat was finished, but alas, with his full power, it wasn't meant to be. With a somewhat labored flourish, time slowed to the point that the blast from the Death Cannon stopped altogether.

_Lestat's POV_

With his full power at his disposal, Lestat was now fully capable of distorting the flow of time to his liking. The only problem was that the longer he held time back, the heavier and stronger his blade became. It was as much a curse as it was a blessing. Slowly, he made his way around behind Kid, ignoring the growing weight of the blade on his body and soul.

_"At this rate, I'll only be able to hold time at bay for another minute or two," _he thought, hefting the blade over his shoulder. It was ever so slowly growing in size, and he could feel it weighing down against his soul. With a snap of his fingers, time began to flow once more, and the blast from the Death Cannon flew into the wall and exploded, sending skull shaped smoke everywhere.

_Kids POV_

Kid was shocked at what had just happened. One second, Lestat is standing with a giant sword in his hands, and the next he's gone, his attack miss completely. Patti didn't notice that their opponent had disappeared just before impact, and cried out in victory.

"Hahaaa! Wooohooo, Kiddo you really did turn him into ashes!" The girl laughed, but Kid knew she was wrong. He knew what he had seen.

_"He was there…then he wasn't. What kind of power is he hiding, now?"_ he thought, glancing back and forth as his arms returned to their normal state. He didn't think he would be able to fire the Death Cannon again for a while. He stood and looked back and forth, realizing only too late that his foe had somehow gotten around behind him.

"Oh I'm afraid you didn't "turn me into ashes." Lestat said sarcastically as he hefted the blade up from his shoulder to bring it down in a crushing blow. Kid avoided the attack by somersaulting forward, twisting around with his guns held at the ready as soon as he was upright. Without a word, he began firing, aiming for the vampires head and heart. Lestat merely ducked down and moved the blade to shield him, its size just large enough to cover most of his frame. Any shots not covered were easily blocked with a slight movement. Kid stood and moved around, never easing up on his attack as he tried to find an opening in his foes defenses.

"Don't think I'm going to lay back and take this, boy! I'm a champion!" Lestat cried as he leapt up from his place, charging Kid despite the bullets that began to rain on him. It seemed the three were still in synch, because the bullets were much stronger, now causing true physical damage. But Lestat didn't care. His strength was more than enough to withstand the attacks, and he knew one true blow from his blade would end the boy, Reaper or not.

"Kid, here he comes!" Liz cried, and the boy stopped firing, getting ready. He had to finish this, and he knew he only had one chance at it. He was tired, and he knew his partners were as well. It was only a matter of time before they ran out of steam completely. As Lestat closed in, bringing his blade around in a spin that would cut Kid in half if it connected, the boy jumped, using the strength of his Reaper body to flip over the vampire. As he came down, he planted his foot on the blade, pinning it to the ground. He ignored the pain jolting through him as the Dark Wavelength attacked his body, and point both guns at his opponent, pressing them against his back.

"One tip, vampire." Lestat looked back in shock.

"Never bring a sword to a gunfight." With that, he began to pull the triggers, putting his entire Wavelength into the shots. They had the effect of lead bullets, and burst through the vampires chest in small exit wounds, sending blood spattering to the floor. Lestats blade dissipated and the vampire hit the floor, blood trickling from his mouth. But he was still alive. Kid put a gun to his head and said quietly,

"Any last words?"

"You know," Lestat said, his voice raspy, "I do actually."

"Make it quick then," Kid answered, never lowering his gun. Liz said to him quietly, "Are you sure you can let him talk? What if he tries something."

"He won't last long as it is."

"You know," Lestat coughed, glaring at them despite his impending doom, "It really is rude to talk about others behind their backs." Kid looked at the vampire with cold eyes.

"Say what you have to say."

"Very well. It's really only a few word: You may have defeated me…but there's a reason I follow Dracula…" Kid narrowed his eyes at the veiled threat as the vampire began to fade into darkness and, without a second thought, he pulled the trigger.

**I could not for the life of me do this fight scene right. I had absolutely no idea how to start or end it, either. Still, what's done is done. If you guys don't like it you can make up a fight scene in your head and put it in place of this one. Stay tuned for the next two or three chapters, maybe even just one, because the end is very close. **


	32. Finale 6! Maka Albarn

_Maka's POV_

"Maka! Maka! Snap out of it!" came Souls words to her ears. Almost as soon as she had stepped foot in the room, she had been overwhelmed by the sheer pressure let off by the Dark Soul. She remembered seeing the thing, floating above a large bed. The Dark Wavelength was pouring from it like a waterfall, hiding her feet in a cloud of purple mist, and it made the seeing in the room difficult. No doubt someone without the Soul Perception, such as Black Star, would even be affected by this power, but not so much as Maka. After a moment, her vision just faded completely, and she recalled feeling her knees give out from under her. Now, all she could hear was Souls pleas to get up.

_Soul's POV_

Maka had fallen, and Soul wasn't surprised as to why. The Dark Wavelength in here was so thick, he could see it: a purple mist that filled the room. He could still see through it though, and right now his focus was on the dark haired Witch standing by the bed. What enraged him the most was that she wasn't even paying attention to him, but instead she was looking at the Dark Soul floating over the bed in the center of the room. It was a powerful thing, and it seemed to be encased in a crystal ball. In all honesty, Soul was afraid how much power that crystal form was holding back. A beam comprised of Dark Wavelength extended up into a machine on the ceiling, and he knew that this was the same machine Arachne had used to spread Asura's madness, something that seemed so long ago.

"Shining Witch!" Soul cried from his position next to his Meister. He was in luck, as Maka seemed to be stirring. Hopefully she would be able to fight. He needed to do something about that Dark Soul. Destroying it sounded like a good plan, if he could reach it, but judging by the two vampires, one obviously Count Dracula, staring at him (Dracula smirking at him deviously) that particular task wouldn't be very easy.

"Oh," Lilith said in mock surprise, "I didn't notice you there. It's nice to see that your little girlfriend is still alive."

"Shut up!"

"Still angry? I'm sorry to hear that. But at least now you can die together. I'll make it quick: I don't have the patience today for interlopers." With that said, her crystals began to float around her, shining through the Dark Wavelength with powerful, and deadly, light. However, she was soon stopped by Dracula, who stepped forward and spoke, his eyes never leaving the boy before him.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll handle this one while you maintain control of the Dark Soul. After all, it is your magic that holds that crystal together, is it not?" Lilith stood and thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"You speak true, Vlad. Very well. Show him no mercy. Equis, assist him, if you would." Soul snarled as the other vampire transformed into a deadly looking katana, stabbed into the ground. Dracula reached down and pulled the blade from the ground. Wanting to utilize the element of surprise somehow, Soul rushed his opponent, his arm transforming into a scythe as he lunged forward.

_Maka's POV_

Slowly, Maka started to come back to her senses. Opened her eyes to faintly see Soul over her, talking to someone. He seemed angry. Then, he was gone, a battle cry on his lips. The Dark Wavelength around her was still overwhelming: so much so that she wasn't able to even lift her arm after him. She had to overcome this so she could help.

_"Dammit….I'm stronger than this!"_ she thought, releasing the strength of her Soul Wavelength. But it wasn't enough. She needed Souls help if she was going to pull through this. She heard the battle rage on somewhere ahead of her and forced herself to her feet. Moments later, Soul was launched back, landed beside her. He leapt up quickly, eager to continue fighting, but Maka caught his shoulder.

"I need…your help," she said, fighting back the urge to fall back again. Soul Looked at her and understood immediately. She was more sensitive to the Dark Wavelength, and she had an idea to stop it. He looked forward and saw Dracula standing still and calm, the katana in his hand resting lightly on his shoulder. His temper flared when he realized that his opponent was actually _waiting _for him. Soul turned back to his partner and answered.

"What are we going to do, Maka?"

"Transform," she panted, fighting back the Dark Wavelength. Her partner did so and she grabbed him, holding him before her as she concentrated. _"All we need to do is counteract the Dark Wavelength with the Anti-Demon Wavelength...that should level the playing field at least."_

"Maka?"

"Let's do this, Soul! Soul Resonance!" she said, and Soul, though still in the dark about her plan, began to sync his soul with hers. Their combined cry pierced the air, and Maka felt her Wavelength intensify to the point that it occupied an almost ten foot radius around her. Because of its special properties, the Dark Wavelength couldn't reach her, and as a plus her scythe was in the form of the Witch Hunter. Maka put her scythe up on her shoulders and stretched.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said confidently, looking at the vampire before her with a defiant gleam in her eye, "Shall we get right down to it, then?"

"Hmph," Dracula smirked, "If you're so inclined, little one." As soon as the words left his mouth, Dracula took off, smiling wide now. As he approached, he spun and brought his katana around violently. Maka jumped the attack and countered with her own twirling slash. The attack just barely missed the vampires shoulder, but the wavelength emanating from it was strong enough to actually burn his skin.

"Gah! Brat!" he cried, shooting out his free hand and catching Maka in the gut with a strong punch that sent her reeling back. She doubled over for a moment, holding her gut, but soon recovered, launching herself back into the battle, slashing at the enemy and causing the same reaction as before. It wasn't long before Dracula became dsitracted, and Maka took her chance to give him payback for the gut punch earlier. With a quick twist, she launched one booted foot into his chest, sending him back. Soul appeared in the blade of the scythe as she prepared to bring it down for the final attack.

"Ha!" he exclaimed, his signature shark-smile present, "I thought this guy was going to be more of a challenge! Kid and Erik must be weaker than we thought!"

"Dark Wavelength, Gather!"

"Huh?" Soul grunted, but then was shocked as some of the Dark Wavlength in the room swept past him and his Meister. The Dark Wavlength gathered in a kind of sphere around the vampire before them, but Maka thought nothing of it, and brought her Witch Hunter down for the finishing blow. But, to her dismay, the blade was held back.

"Hmph, you think such a weak little attack will cut through my shield? How naive you are. This is the result of my Dark Desire: indestructability!" the vampire laughed before a surge of power through both scyhe Meister and Weapon back, dispelling the Witch Hunter and embedding the blade into the wall while Maka's back slammed against the wall just beside it.

"Maka!" cried Soul, still feeling the electric burning sensation of the Dark Wavelength pulsing through his body as he transformed. The sound of metal scraping against stone could be heard as he wrenched his arm, still in scythe form, from the wall before making his way to his Meister. The girl in question wiped a bit of blood from her mouth before slowly standing, her arm draped over Souls shoulders for support.

"What's the matter boy? Am I still not enough of a challenge for you?" Dracula said, now standing strong and proud. His wavelength was powerful enough that even he could see it: a dark purple sphere around him, with a small bat-like wing protruding from the side.

"Soul, transform," Maka commanded, and Soul looked at her incredulously. Her right arm hung limply at her side, and he knew it must be broken.

"Maka, your arm is broken."

"I said transform," she demanded, now standing on her own and holding out her uninjured hand. He stance was a little shaky, but Soul couldn't help admire the determined look in her eye. With a flash of light, Soul once ore became a scythe, Maka using him to help her keep her balance.

"Child," started Dracula softly, a smirk on his face, "I can see you are in an incredible amount of pain. The Dark Wavelength only exacerbates the pain of that arm, I'm sure. That, and your wavelength is sporadic. It must be hard wield your Weapon in this state. Why do you still fight?" Maka wouldn't have admitted it, but the vampire was right: her arm was killing her, and the memory of hearing the sickening crack of the bone breaking was making her nauseous. That, and the Dark Wavelength was making her own wavelength spin out of control.

"Are you kidding," Maka said, pretending to be confident despite the sudden pain that shot through her arm. She bore it and continued, "I bet I could take you with my eyes closed." Dracula laughed at this.

"Girl, you cannot bluff me. But if you insist, please step forward and show me what you can do." Maka took a step forward, something strained and unstable. That was when a hand fell on her shoulder. She looked back to see Death the Kid.

"She won't have to do it alone," he said simply, his other arm going up to aim his pistol at the vampire. Dracula's smirk only widened.

"It seems one of my brethren has fallen. Was it Nikolai? Or maybe Lestat?"

"It was both!" came another voice, followed by the sound of running footsteps. After a moment, Sarah arrived, Danny in scythe form over her shoulders. Her eyes were back to their normal dark brown. "And he was barely a challenge!"

"Hmph," Dracula scoffed, still unimpressed, "Well, if those two were dispatched, then..."

"YAAAAHOOOO!" came the cry from above as part of the wall seemed to explode. The dust cleared to reveal Black Star with a goofy grin on his face. Tsubaki stood behind him, shaking her head.

"As I thought...you've effectively destroyed Nosferatu. Equis and I are the last of the line. How unfortunate."

"It seems as though your minions were less powerful than they let on, Vlad," said Lilith, stepping forward as her crystals took flight around her, "It seems our plan has been thwarted." Dracula sneered and looked at the Witch.

"Those three were nothing compared to the power I wield. My power is the manifestation of a millenia, passed down to me from my Master! As long as I continue to breath, the DWMA will fall!" Lilith smiled and closed her eyes before she spoke again.

"Very well then. Let us dispatch these children then and you can prove to me your power." With that, Liliths crystals began to glow fiercely, becoming almost blinding points of light.

"My Magic Lazer Show was only the tip of the iceberg, little scythe. Feel the wrath of the Starshine Shower!" she cried, and the light from her crystals became unbearable, so much so that even Dracula was forced to cover his eyes. The last thing Soul remembered was the slight feeling of dread when his vision failed him, and the sound of what he could only assume was pure energy heading for him and his Meister. He transformed in an effort to protect her, but somehow he knew it wouldn't be enough.

...the sound of running footsteps...

"HRRRRRRAAAH! FOURTH TIER, RELEASE!"

**Sorry for the delay on updating, my cpu died at one point and I couldn't use it for a week or two, and college is kicking me in the teeth. Anyway, I'll be posting the last chapters soon, so stay tuned!**


	33. Finale 7! Erik Altezio

Erik stood before the rest of the group, his arms held before him defensively. His wavelength could be seen, power pouring from it in a way the others had never seen. His eyes were nearly blood red, and his canines were visible as fangs even though his mouth was closed in a pained frown. On his arm was a black bladed gauntlet: Minora.

"Erik are you all right?" asked Minora with worry. The attack he had just blocked was fairly powerful, and she knew that even he had his limits. He lowered his arms as his wavelength began to fade, and he smirked.

"Yeah I'm perfect. The Dark Wavelength has already healed up my ribs, and I haven't felt this powerful in a while," he answered, then turned around and said, "You guys all right?" He was met with a couple of stunned faces, some confused faces, and one very, very angry one. Liz transformed and almost ran over to him.

"You aren't supposed to be here!" she yelled, getting in his face. He merely leaned back and smirked. This only seemed to make her angrier.

"Don't you smile at me! You could die here! We all could!" Erik knew what to do calm her down, and rather than let her continue her rant, he put a finger to her lips and leaned in close.

"Think of it more this way," he started as she began to blush, "At least this way, if we die we die together, hm?" She turned and crossed her arms.

"This isn't over," she said before walking back to kid and becoming a gun again. Then, Erik turned and faced his enemies. Lilith was smiling, but he could see the malice floating just below the surface, and Dracula seemed indifferent.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Erik said, the question directed to the dark haired Witch.

"Quite a while. Are you ready to give in, or do I have to show you just whose side will win this battle?"

"I really don't care who wins," Erik said, his voice darkening as he began to slip into some of his old habits, "I just want to have a good time." With that, he leapt forward, the blade on his gauntlet flipping forward so he could slash at the Witch. She jumped back and was instantly shielded by Dracula, who stepped in the way and slashed at Erik. He was backed up as well, however, by Sarah and Kid, the former literally jumping over Eriks head to attack with a viscious slash while Kid released a hailstorm of bullets. Neither of their attacks connected, but they were able to drive him back a bit. Maka walked up to Erik then and, even though she was clearly injured, took a fighting stance.

"We'll take him out. You go after the Witch."

"Yeah, and give her one for me!" Soul said, appearing in the scythe blade. As the others began their attack, Erik gave Maka a thumbs up. Minora appeared on the back of the gauntlet and gave her a worried look.

"Don't overdo it Maka. That arm looks pretty bad...I wouldn't...want you to get hurt or anything." Maka merely shrugged and said, "It's a little late for that, Minnie. Don't worry I'll be fine."

"Okay..." Minora said before disappearing, and with that Maka was off, going to help her friends in their battle. Erik popped his back and looked at the Witch that was now standing before him, crystals floating about her in a way that seemed both relaxed and dangerous at the same time, like a predator observing its prey.

"Well, Erik," she said finally, "To think it would come to this. But then again, I'm not surprised. I did tell you this wasn't over, didn't I?"

"Yeah I suppose you did," answered Erik, "you always were one to keep your word, if nothing else."

"I told you I would come back for you..." Lilith said, frowning before looking back up to him in anger. "At least I kept my word, unlike you. What happened to forever?" Erik frowned at this as well, before replying quietly.

"It took you twenty years to come for me, Lilith. Twenty years is a long time for a human being. Granted, I haven't aged a year, but you understand what I mean." He clenched his hands into fists, the claws on his weapon making a light scraping against the metal on his palm.

"Erik, calm down..." Minora said quietly, sensing the anger grow in him as he recounted his past.

"I was nothing but an experiment to you, Lilith. You didn't love me. You didn't care. You just wanted to turn me into a monster and set me loose on the world. I've seen all the people I've killed, all the souls I've devoured," his eyes darkened more, and he felt the Dark Seal weaken a little, "and now a different kind of evil lives in me, turning me into a monster."

"The Dark Wavelength was never meant to be part of the project," Lilith said angrily, light building in her crystals, "But Dracula told me that...in time...you would seek him out for guidance...the power would be too great for you to handle...the hunger too tempting...I just wanted my toy back." Erik saw a small gleam in her eye and he was surprised to notcie that the Witch was beginning to cry.

"I'm not your toy, Lilith. Not anymore."

"Enough," she said, wiping her face and glaring at him, "it's time to finish this, Erik." Then, with a malicious smirk, she added, "Oh, and when I'm done finishing you off...I think I'll kill that gun as well...slowly." The jealousy in her voice was plain as day, but Erik didn't have time to comment on it, as five beams of light shot past him, piercing parts of his duster but missing. He knew it was just a scare tactic, something to show him that she meant business. However, he couldn't help but feel confident. The Starshine Shower was one of Liliths more potent spells, and he was able to block it.

"Ready Minora? Let's show her just what we're made of!" Erik cried, flipping the blade back to its normal position as he raised his fist up to his face. Minora apppeared for a moment and nodded once, her face set in a determined frown, her eyes just as red as his.

"Soul Resonance!" the two cried in unison as their Soul Wavelengths synchronized. Almost immediately their power doubled, and the gauntlet changed in form. The blade got a little longer, the claws a little sharper, and the gauntlet now covered more of his arm, becoming more like the arm to a suit of armor. Lastly, his arm was covered with a flame-like blue aura. Erik wasted no time, using his new strength to move at lightning speeds at his foe. More beams of light were fired at him, but he paid them little mind as he closed the gap between them.

"SOUL REAPER!" he cried, using their Soul Resonance technique, basically a more powerful version of the Soul Ripper, in an attempt to finish the battle with one shot. As much fun as he wanted to have (he hadn't had a real fight since he went up against Dracula) he didn't want to draw this out too long. One wrong move, and he was toast.

"Nice try!" Lilith laughed at him, dodging out of the way of his strike and countering with a quick spin kick at his back. Luckily, his momentum carried him out of the way of the attack. Erik flipped the blade forward and whispered to his partner.

"That took a little more out of me than I thought it would, Minora. I think I've got one...maybe two left in me." Lilith, noticing his knew stance, changed her own. Two of the crystals floated down to her open hands, floating just inches away from her palms. She muttered something to herself, but Erik didn't catch it. He did, however, notice the two beams of light, each extending about an arms length, extend from the crystals. As all this happened, the remaining crystals formed a triangle around her head, a single circular beam of light connecting them.

"A halo, huh? I know for a fact you aren't an angel," Erik said, and was answered by Lilith dashing forward and slashing. The Meister was somewhat relieved to find that his wavelength was strong enough to block the attack, but that didn't stop the other beam. The strike was quick, like te bite from a rattlesnake, and pierced his chest before the Witch jumped back. Erik stumbed back and coughed up some blood, clutchingthe thing wound on his chest.

"Erik!" Minora cried, but he ignored her and rushed forward again. He wasn't sure just how bad the damage was, but he could already feel the Dark Wavelength patching it up. Lilith obviously wasn't expecting such a quick recovery, and Erik was able to get the upperhand. He hacked and slashed with little regard for his own safety, giving and taking wounds. Erik was surprised to see that the halo around her head would send light to heal her wounds.

"That's an interesting spell. I don't remember ever seeing that one."

"Really? But certainly you knew that my Sun Magic has healing properties? Perhaps you've noticed the differences between the lights in my hands and the halo?" And indeed, as she said this, Erik noticed that the light blades in her hands were made of a paler light than the halo.

"Of course," he said, "Moon Magic for offense, Sun Magic for defense. I'd nearly forgotten."

"Yes, it would appear that way," she said, her wounds now fully healed, "but your ability confuses me. Of all my studies, I've never found that the Dark Wavelength could heal...well, other than with Dracula but that's a different case."

"Yeah well, I don't question it. Anyway, let's get this over with." Erik said, before leaping back into the fight with increased vigor.

_Meanwhile_

"Little pests! It's useless!" Dracula mocked the young Meisters who were giving it their all against him. He had drawn his wavelength in to form around him, and it seemed as if he were constantly bathed in a powerful purple aura. The effect was, of course, a near indestructable barrier between him and his opponents. And since it was so close now, he could fight back easily.

"Maka, watch out!" cried Sarah as the vampire charged the blonde Meister, trying to take advantage of her current weakness. He was met by a flurry of gunshots and a lightning fast series of slashes from an angry scythe Meister, but nothing slowed him down. Maka prepared herself for the attack, but she couldn't help but feel the shiver go down her spine at the vampires blood thirsty smile. Luckily for her, Black Star was ready.

"Tsubaki go!" he said, the Enchanted Sword flashing to life in his hands.

"Right!" his Weapon cried as the ninja's shadow shot out from beneath him, entangling itself in the vampires legs. Black Star grabbed the shadow and pulled it, tripping Dracula up and causing him to look back a the ninja in disgust.

"Not so tough now, are you?" said the ninja, but he didn't notice the sudden surge of power. Sarah and Maka did, however, in their own respective ways, and both cried out to him.

"Black Star watch out!"

"Black Star let go of him you idiot!" There was an agonized cry as Dracula passed the Dark Wavelength through the shadow before it released him and snapped back. The recoil was enough to take Black Star off his feet, and to make matters worse, Tsubaki reverted to her human form, clutching her sides in pain as she curled up on the floor. Black Star wasn't much better off, clutching his hand as he made his way to his Weapons side.

"Tsubaki!"

"I'm...fine..." she said, gulping in breaths as she slowly stood with his help. She noticed he was still holding his hand and asked, "What's wrong with your hand?"

"It's numb...I can't feel a thing," he said seriously, then looked up at his enemy with a smile and said, "That's all right though: I could take this guy with both hands tied behind my back! And blind folded!" Tsubaki smiled a small little smile at this: at least he was confident about it.

"How cute. You honestly believe your plight will end well? That you have any chance of success? Stop kidding yourselves. The Dark Wavelength will take this world apart!"

"Yeah yeah, we get the point!" said Sarah rushing forward and bringing her scythe down on her opponent. He blocked it and pushed her back, but she came back for more, again and again. Meanwhile, as Tsubaki retransformed and Black Star joined Sarah in her ruthless battle against their foe, Kid and Maka began to plan.

"Maka, I have an idea." Kid whispered her as he made his way to stand next to her. He caught her just as she was about to join in the battle, so her reply was a bit annoyed.

"What?"

"Are you strong enough for Chain Resonance with Sarah and I?"

"I think I can manage it for a few minutes. My arm is killing me. What's the plan?" she asked, and Kid quickly went over what he wanted to do. When he was done, Maka nodded and looked back to the battle to see Sarah flying toward them, landing next to them in a crouch, scythe held out to the side. Black Star was still holding strong, exchanging lightning quick blows with the vampire.

"Gah, nothing gets through. Did you have any luck when you fought him earlier, Maka?"

"Actually, we have a plan," said Kid. He quickly explained to Sarah, and she lit up, her smile mischievous.

"Oh God yes let's do this!" she said, and all three prepared for the Chain Resonance. Black Star noticed what they were doing and cried, between blows, "Hey what are you three doing?"

"Don't worry about it!" Sarah retorted, her wavelength joining with her friends, "Just keep him busy!" Black Star, knowing better than to go against Sarah, did as she bade and fought all the harder. As their souls joined, Maka and Sarah's scythes began to glow, taking the form of Witch Hunters. Meanwhile, Kid began to prepare his Death Cannon. As Maka and Sarah charged in, the latter cried out to the blue haired ninja.

"Black Star, move!" He complied, pretty much disappearing from sight before Dracula could land a blow. The vampire tensed and readied himself for the oncoming attack, the first to reach him being Sarah. She stomped a foot down to stop herself and used the momentum of her charge to bring her scythe around more like a baseball bat than a blade. The attack was on a direct path for the Counts throat, but he leaned back and dodged it, the blade barely nicking his barrier. The effect was instantaneous: as the Witch Hunter came into contact with the Dark Wavelength, the latter of the two seemed to just disintegrate. Seeing this, Dracula growled and released his hold on the barrier, making it expand in seconds, launching Sarah away. The barrier had a very distinguishable crack in it.

"My turn!" Maka said, gritting her teeth against the pain in her arm. She spun with her slash to build speed with the attack and caught the barrier directly in the center of the crack. There was a moment where nothing happened, then all at once hell seemed to break loose. The front part of the barrier seemed to explode into millions of shards of glass before fading away completely. The chaos knocked Maka back, and Soul transformed to catch her before she could fall on her broken arm.

"Kid, now!" Soul said, propping Maka up as they both gazed at their enemy. Kid wasted no time in firing the Death Cannon, the blast flying across the room and hitting the vampire despite his attempt to block it. When the smoke cleared, Dracula was in a kneel, looking up at them with scorn. Smoke was rising from his clothes, but it could be seen that his wounds were slowly healing.

"It will take more than that, fools!"

"Forget something?" came the cocky voice of a certain blue haired ninja as he seemed to appear out of thin air before him, sword held at the vampires chest. Dracula looked up in defiance before the blade went plunging into his chest, splattering blood on the floor. He brought the blade back and leapt back, Tsubaki turning back to her human form and standing next to him as he landed. Dracula fell to his knees and clutched his chest, coughing up blood while his Dark Wavelength receded and his power fell.

"But...I am...indestructable...my wavelength shields me...and heals my wounds...how?"

"The Anti-Demon Wavelength," Maka said, stepping forward with Soul and Sarah helping her every step of the way. Danny followed behind, eyeing the downed vampire before them.

"It destroys evil," Kid continued.

"And what's more evil than a monster that drinks human blood and eats human souls?" Sarah finished. Dracula merely chuckled darkly at this.

"I guess...that makes sense..."

_Eriks POV_

Erik skidded to a halt, bracing himself against the wall, before launching himself back at Lilith. The Witch was ready for him, giving a battle cry as their blades met and their faces grew nearly inches apart: Erik with a wide eyed, almost insane looking smile on his face, and Lilith with a cool smirk. She puckered her lips up at him to mock him, and he laughed, throwing her back before lunging forward. Their fighting styles were very similar, almost identical. This wasn't all that surprising, since it was the Shining Witch that had taught him how to fight in the first place. But it was clear who was the more skilled fighter, and if it weren't for the way Erik was healing he would have probably been dead by now.

"Getting tired, Erik?" Lilith asked, and he said nothing back. What she said was true: he was beginning to wear down, though it wouldn't really effect his performance for quite a while still. That, and the Dark Wavelength was beginning to put a strain on him. He was using too much of it's power...too much of Draculas power. It was putting a strain on the last part of the Seal, and he wasn't sure how long he could hold out.

"Nah, not me," he lied, "If anything you seem a little winded, and it looks like you're running out of light in those crystals." He got her there: the light from her crystals was dimming, and he reckoned she only had an hour or so left. Still, an hour was more than enough time. He rushed her again, flipping the blade back to its normal position so that he could use his special technique.

"SOUL REAPER!" he cried as Lilith blocked the attack by crossing her blades before her. He continued to push, putting everything he had into the attack. This was the last shot he had with the Soul Reaper, and if it didn't work this time then he probably wouldn't last against her in a long battle. He allowed his wavelength to pulse through the light blades and he got a sudden idea. He pushed a little farther and felt a small resonance that signified it had come into contact with the crystals. With a final push and cry, the Soul Reaper disrupted LIliths magic, and as a plus the crystals in her hands shattered and fell to the floor, the light within them being dispelled. Lilith, after a short cry of pain, jumped back.

"Sorry we're late guys! We're here to back you up!" came the cry of Sid, and Erik turned back to see both he and Professor Stein were in the room, both with weapons raised.

"Erik? I thought Lord Death told you not to come on this mission."

"Well, this wouldn't be the first time I've ever gone against Death."

"STOP CALLING HIM THAT PUNK!" Spirit yelled, but was stifled by a quick whispered word from Stein. Meanwhile, Lilith had slowly made her way back to the bed and had grabbed the Dark Soul there.

_Draculas POV_

"Well, Vlad it seems we've failed. I'll be taking my leave while I can," she said, the light beginning to grow in her remaining crystals, and the vampire knew she was about to leave him here to die.

_"No..."_ he thought, forcing himself up, _"It's been too many years...too many centuries for it to end this way. Nosferatu was meant to destroy the Witches...especially the ones who took my Masters soul. I won't let this happen!"_

"That soul is MINE!" he cried, using his last bit of strength.

"MISTRESS! LOOK OUT!" Equis cried, trying desperately to revert to his human form, but it was too late, and the blade was forced through her back.

"Gah...traitor!" she said as Dracula took the Dark Soul from her. He didn't just pull the blade from her either, but rather slashed it up and through her shoulder, sending blood spattering everywhere as she hit the floor. But he no longer cared. After so long, vengeance was his. He dropped the katana in his hand, which instantly transformed into Equis, who kneeled next to the now dying Shining Witch.

"Mistress Lilith...just hold on everything will be fine!" he said, panicked. From the way he looked at her it was clear how he felt, and he didn't have to say anything, because she silcenced him with a word while the DWMA students looked on in shock.

"Quiet," she said, before looking over at Dracula, who was currently holding the Dark Soul above his head, his move open and ready to devour it. She coughed up some blood before saying, "You may have...killed me...but once Minake learns of this..."

"Minake? HA? Once I take the power from this soul...none will be able to oppose me!" he replied, before swallowing the Dark Soul whole. Nothing happened at first...but then...

"Guhuh...rrrrrrrRRRRRAAAAHHH!" he cried, collapsing back to his knees as darkness enveloped him. His wounds healed instantly, and his eyes went from red to almost pure black, and his power filled the room. When he stood again, he had a terrible smile.

"Well," he said, his voice dark and powerful, "Shall I finish you all then?" Equis, enraged that his mistress had fallen at this monsters hands, stood and drew his blade, rushing the Count. Though he was fast, Equis was no match for Dracula, who merely caught the rushing man by his throat and held him in the air. As a last ditch attempt, Equis stabbed him in the chest, but it did nothing. Dracula merely looked down at the blade in his chest (as if he hadn't been stabbed enough today) and said, "Nice try." Then, he sent a surge of only a portion of his power to him.

"You will be my weapon, Equis, whether you like it or not," he said over his agonized screams. He was forced into his weapon form, and made no more sound.

_Eriks POV_

Erik backed away from Dracula slowly, not entirely sure what to expect from him. The last time he had fought him, his power was almost too much to handle. Granted, he'd gotten stronger since then, but he wasn't sure if his power would be enough. In fact, he wasn't sure if any of them were capable of defeating him now. They needed to get out of there. Minora, who had just turned back to her human form, seemed to read his mind and agreed completely.

"Stein...we should get out of here. This guy is too tough for even you," Erik called back, and he wasn't surprised when he looked back and saw him nod, before addressing the others.

"Everyone, run while he's still getting used to his strength," Stein said to them, stepping forward to defend them while they left. Maka and Soul were the first through the door. Black Star, though he seemed to want to stay and fight, stayed surprisingly quiet as he went through the door.

"Papa Stein, we can take this guy!" Sarah said as she made her way to the door. Danny had gone to see if Minora and Erik were okay. Stein looked at his adopted daughter and laughed, something almost sad, and patted her head.

"At his strength, only Lord Death or maybe another strong vampire like him has a chance. And besides...can you hear anything?" she was silent at this, and he ushered her along. Meanwhile, Minora and Erik started to run to the exit, with Danny trailing close behind, while Dracula set his evil eyes upon them.

"Run as far as you want, fools!" he cried, his power building, "you won't escape the darkness! Begone!"

Time seemed to stop for Erik as he felt the Dark Wavelength within him react. He looked back to see Dracula covered in darkness that he absolutely knew meant something bad. He saw Danny's eyes grow wide in realization of what was about to happen. Erik looked at the young boy he had grown to love like a younger brother (well...maybe not a younger brother, but maybe a favorite cousin) and he realized what he was going to do. He heard Stein protest behind him and he heard the sound of footsteps running toward him, but that didn't stop him. As the darkness began to rush to them all, a tidal wave of sure destruction, Erik stepped forward and grabbed Danny by the shoulder before throwing him to Minora, who barely caught him and gave Erik a questioning look.

"Run!" he said, before turning back to the darkness.

"FIFTH TIER...RELEASE!" he cried, fully relinquishing himself to the power of the Dark Wavelength. His power spiked, and with all the power he could possibly muster, Erik used the only technique he could think of to carve a hole through the darkness.

"SOUL RIPPER!" he said, jabbing his hand forward as the darkness came into contact with him, and to his surprise it worked, keeping the darkness from hitting the others. He felt hands pulling on his shoulders and he looked back to see a teary eyed Liz.

"Liz run!"

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"Just go! Minora!" he called back, and Minora was there in a flash to pry the woman (and her personal rival) off of him. Minora, at least, understood what he was doing. This was for all the years he spent, killing innocent people. His penance.

_Crack_

He knew he probably wouldn't survive this. Already he could feel his soul succumbing to the darkness before him.

_Crack_

"Just give it up, boy!"

_Crack_

_ Crack_

_ Shatter_

**Terrible way to end a chapter, I know. But I think it settled things nicely. There will be one chapter after this one, and at the end of that chapter will be a preview to the sequel. A little taste if you will. Which actually brings me to my next point: I need a title. I'm resting on "Kishins Man, Kishins" for the moment, but any other input is greatly appreciated. If I get enough (if any) names, I'll probably hold a vote or something for the most popular. I don't know stay tuned for the final installment, and thank you all for reading!**


	34. Epilogue

**Before I begin I'd like to say thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, and pretty much acknowledged this story's existence. It's been a long ride, and it's finally coming to a close. Please keep an eye out for the sequel. Unless I get any better ideas, it will be called "Kishins and Warlocks."**

_Badum...badum..._

All he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat, slow and steady despite what had just happened. Everything seemed to move in slow motion around him. His breathing was harsh, but it was slowing. It was around then that he realized he was on his hands and knees. He lifted himself up and looked around slowly, taking in everything he saw. He was amazed at how clear everything seemed. Before him was the vampire, Dracula, with a smug grin on his face. Nearby there was a Witches soul foating above a puddle of blood. Behind him, he could sense human souls, and before him he could sense three: the soul of Dracula, the soul of Equis, which was very weak but still there, and a final soul overlapping Dracula's, merging with it. The was soul was almost pure evil. The Dark Soul.

"Erik..." came a small voice behind him, and he turned to see the still struggling (though not very hard) Liz. Minora held was still holding her back, but she had the same look of terror on her face. Danny stood just behind the raven haired girl with wide eyes. Behind them, Stein and Sid were standing at the ready, their weapons ready, and behind them were the others, all with looks of shock.

"His eyes..." Liz said weakly, referring to the way Erik's eyes had become a disturbing shade of blood red. But he didn't care. Only one thing was on his mind right now: hunger so intense he thought he may die. Dracula seemed to sense this.

"Come to me, child," he said, and Erik did so, much to the dismay of the girls behind him, both of whom reached out to him. He didn't notice. As he approached, his walk something like a drunken stumble, and stopped before Dracula his head held low. He could feel the power of his soul had increased by at least ten fold, but the hunger! He needed to eat, and the feel of the souls behind him was so...tempting.

"I can see the hunger in your eyes, Erik."

"How...do I...stop it!"

"In due time. Now tell me, what is your Dark Desire?" Erik stood and thought about it for a moment before he answered.

"Ever since I was released...I have been trying to escape my past...freedom...my Dark Desire...is freedom." As if the word had activated some innate power within him, his Dark Wavelength erupted, whipping his duster around him as it gathered on his back in the form of two pitch black bird wings.

"Freedom? Strange. No matter. From this point onward you shall be known...as The Fallen Angel, Erik Altezio! Come, my disciple, you've much to learn." Dracula said, turning and walking away, but Erik didn't follow. Dracula looked back at him and scowled.

"Disciple?" Erik laughed, looking up at the vampire with a smirk on his face, "You think that this changes anything? Besides," he raised his fist in front of his face, his wavelength gathering there and forming a visible purple aura, "How can I be free as your 'disciple'?" Then, he dashed, pushing himself forward with his wings. He was a blur, and Dracula hadn't been expecting it. He quickly allowed his barrier to come forth, more powerful thanks to the power of the Dark Soul, but to his dismay Erik passed through as if it didn't exist.

_"Blast," _he thought, dodging as Erik drove his fist at his foe, _"Just as I thought, others like me can pass through my barrier. Nikolai was right..."_ Dracula fought back, slashing at Erik and catching him in the chest. Erik did a rather graceful back flip and landed in a kneel. His chest did not heal, but he didn't notice. Dracula smiled a wicked smile.

"Ha! Now that you have your own Dark Wavelength, you've lost the healing ability mine granted you!" He rushed then, slashing wildly in an attempt to cut Erik to pieces. Though he was new to his power, Erik seemed to know exactly what to do, and his wings moved forward to become blades lining his arms. He blocked Draculas attack and forced him back.

"C'mon, Count!" he crried in the vampires face, smiling wide. He was beginning to lose it, "You've gotta have more than this! Or is it that the Dark Soul you ate still haven't merged with your own soul yet?" Dracula gasped at this.

"That's right, I can see it!" Erik cried, pushing the vampire back and cocking his free arm back at the same time, "I CAN SEE YOUR SOUL!" Dracula knew it was coming, and he cursed the strength of a newly born vampire. Erik shot his hand forward and cried, "SOUL RIPPER!" Because of the Dark Perception, he was able to pry the Dark Soul away from Dracula's. The result was more explosive than he intended, and Dracula went flying back, but for some reason he was smiling.

"Good bye, Erik. We WILL meet again!" he cried, falling into a shadow and disappearing altogether. Erik tried to chase after but he didn't know how Dracula could manipulate the shadows in such a way. _"Must be a vampire thing...I'll figure it...out..."_ Now that the battle was over, Erik found that the hunger was more prominent. He looked at the Dark Soul in his hand and smiled wide. _"It would help with this hunger...and think of the power..."_

_BAM! BAM!_

Erik looked over at the others to see Kid, holding only one pistol, it's barrel smoking. He had an almost angry look on his face. Liz jumped in his way and yelled, "Kid, what the hell?"

"He's a vampire now. Worse yet, he's got the Dark Soul. I can see it in the way he looks at it..at us...that he won't be able to control himself." Liz just looked at him angrily and stayed in his way, but it was Erik that spoke.

"He's right," he said, his voice hoarse as he fought the urge to eat the soul in his hand...to rampage the people he called friends, "I'm on thin ice, Liz..."

"Don't say that! Kid, can't your father work up a new Seal for him?"

"That won't work," Erik said, focusing now. If anything, he would destroy the Dark Soul before it could fall into the wrong hands...which were seeming to look more and more like his own. With a squeeze, he felt how weak it was, and he was amazed that something housing so much power could be so easy to destroy. But still...the temptation to eat it was becoming too great.

"Do it, Erik," came the voice of Stein, who was trying to light a cigarette with little success. It seemed his lighter had run out.

"You're strong, kid. Stronger than most of us here. Destroy it," continued Sid, crossing his arms. Soon, the others added their own support. Erik was touched, and their support gave him strength, and with a final squeeze the Dark Soul popped like a balloon, its energies dissipating almost pathetically. Minora and Liz both began to walk over to him.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!" he cried, clutching his head in his hands. Despite his small victory moments ago, the hunger was still there. And the closer they got, he could even smell them.

"But..." they both said in unison.

"Just...stay back..." he said, looking up at them, clearly able to see their souls. He knew he only had one choice at this point, and with an angry cry he spld carry read his wings wide and took off, flying through the hole in the wall and flying off as fast as his power could carry him.

_Three Months Later_

"Minora, what can I do for you?" asked Lord Death as the now Death Scythe (she had used Liliths soul for her Witches Soul) made her way to him.

"I want to...talk about Erik."

"I thought that might be the case. Minora, we've been over this, and I'm sorry. I've sent you on countless missions to find him, and still he remains hidden from us. Erik was a fine Meister, and his loss is hard on all of us."

"Please...one more time...I can even use the Dark Perception if need be."

"A dangerous thing to suggest, Minora. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid until theh Dark Wavelength makes another appearance, we have no leads. I truly am sorry..." Disheartened, Minora walked away. Outside the Death Room, she ran into Death the Kid. As she passed, he said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, Minora. We'll find him. Just give it time." She shook her head sadly and moved on.

_Five Years Later_

In Death City, Maka Albarn gave birth to a baby boy. She had been married to her husband, Soul, two years before, and they had decided the time was right. The boy had white hair like his father, but the pale green eyes of his mother. The doctor handed the new father his son, and he couldn't help but let a single tear roll down his cheek.

"Nice...cool guy," said Maka with a tired sigh.

"You did it...he's beautiful," he answered her as he gripped one of her hands. She squeezed it and answered, "No...we did it."

"What do you want to name him?" she asked as Soul handed the baby boy gently to his mother, whom looked at the baby fondly.

"I don't know. Something cool," he said with his classic shark toothed grin.

"Hmm...how about..." Maka said in thought, then it hit her, and her face lit up, "How about Altezio?"

"As in Erik Altezio?"

"Yeah why not? It's a cool name, and it seems fitting: he did give up his soul to save us." Soul seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yeah...yeah I like it. Altezio Evans."

_Meanwhile_

Erik landed softly on the grounds of Castle Transylavania. He still didn't believe it, but he felt the presence of the Count here. Maybe it was residual, remaining after his long stay here. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

"The Fallen Angel returns. I told you we would meet again," the voice came as Dracula stepped out of the shadows. Overhead lightning flashed, and it began to softly rain over the two.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm here for information."

"You mean training."

"Whatever." Dracula smiled at this.

"What, you think I would just hand over the secrets of our kind to you? Leave this place before I destroy you." Erik didn't waste time, and in seconds the two were airborn, with Eriks hand wrapped around the Counts throat. They were airborn only for a moment before Erik slammed Dracula against the castle wall. Erik looked at him with near pure fury and said, "Listen old man. I've beaten you once and I've only gotten stronger since then.

"A side effect of holding back the hunger no doubt. It gives you power...but takes your mind until finally you feed."

"Whatever. I know you rarely feed: people don't talk about you nearly enough for that not to be the case. I want to know how you can stand being around so many people without losing it. You WILL tell me."

"All right, all right. No need to be so hostile. I'll teach you what I know, and then you leave me in peace. But don't think this changes anything. One day I will kill you, or take your mind as I did Equis."

"Whatever."

_Seven Years Later_

Minora walked silently behind Lord Death. Antarctica was where she had felt the Dark Wavelength (Lord Death had developed a new eight part Seal that allowed her to use the Dark Wavelength at will) and she had finally convinced Lord Death to escort her on a mission to find him. The first time she had felt the Dark Wavelength turned out to be Count Dracula, and they had finished what they started so many years ago. Minora started when Lord Death stopped, catching her off guard and breaking her train of thought.

"Minora...he's close. You...know what we have to do if he attacks, right?"

"I know...I'm prepared to face that option."

"Good." he said, continuing. His prediction turned out to be true, and in moments they had come across a figure, sitting with his legs crossed in the snow. He seemed to be meditating.

"Hello, Death. Minora," Erik said to them as they approached. His eyes remained closed. He hadn't aged a day, and he still had the same sense of style, though it was obvious that his clothing and duster were new. He had cut the left sleeve off of the jacket. (As a fashion statement or something.)

"Hello, Erik," Lord Death began, "It's been awhile."

"Ten years. And in the last five, I've been here. The Count told me that the only way to sate my hunger would be to find a secluded place and wait it out. What better place than an arctic wasteland? Nobody around..." his eyes snapped open, still blood red, "until now. Why have you come?" At this point, Minora stepped forward and spoke.

"We've come to save you."

"Save me? What is there to save? I am what I am."

"We can help you!" she cried, "there's a new Seal that..."

"Enough, Minora," said Lord Death, "at this point the new Seal wouldn't do anything. Erik, I have only one question: can you control it?" There was silence, until Erik sighed sadly and stood, using his wings to lift himself into the air for a moment.

"No, I can't."

"That's what I feared."

"Don't lie, Kid," said Erik, "You knew how it would be before you came here." Lord Death sighed, then removed his mask, revealing that Death the Kid looked as if he hadn't aged any either.

"If you knew that it was me, then I take you know that my father has..."

"Faded? Yes, I know. Using the Dark Perception, I have seen the souls of millions...I've used it for so long that I've seen every soul in the world. I knew when your father faded...just like I knew when you finished off Dracula."

"Interesting. But we've wasted too much time. Let's get this over with. Minora?" Kid said, and Minora nodded sadly before transforming. Her Death Scythe form looked more deadly than her normal form, and Erik was impressed.

"Over the years, I've seen every soul in the world. And you know what the world looks like?"

"Enlighten me," said Kid as he prepared his strike.

my cool." At that, the two began to fight, neither giving or taking any ground from the other. Throughout the fight, Erik was reminded of when he fought Kids father. It seemed like a lifetime ago. _"And...I hope it ends the same way,"_ he thought sadly. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

"Kuh..." choked out Kid as Erik caught him around the throat and held the Death god high. Minora had reverted to her human form and was lying on the ground in a heap. Erik did not smile.

"I'm sorry, Kid...sorry that I couldn't hold back and let you win. My...power is too great to allow that...I suppose this is goodbye..." Kid looked at his old friend wth sad eyes.

"Soul...gah..." Erik stuttered as he felt a hand on the small of his back. He looked back to see Minora there.

"Soul...Ripper..." she said, and everything went black.

_The Inner Chamber_

Minora had never been here before. She was surrounded by darkness, and in her hand was a dark purple soul: Erik's soul.

"Hey, Minora," came his voice, and she saw him standing nearby, leaning against a wall of nothing it seemed. His smirk was present.

"Erik!" she cried, running to him. He didn't move as she wrapped her arms around him. She cried openly.

"I've...been...looking for you all this...time," she choked out between sobs.

"I know," he replied, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her at arms length, "But you know I can't go back."

"But..."

"I can't. You know why you're here..." She kissed him then, something sloppy that he knew was coming. He didn't resist and they stayed like this until he felt himself begin to fade. He broke the kiss and chuckled before he was gone, leaving Minora with his soul as she fell to her knees.

_Back in Antarctica_

"Minora...get up you did it," Kid said as he helped the girl to her feet. He was rubbing his neck where there were small burns. Erik's power was enough to burn him, and that troubled him.

"Yeah..." she said sadly, looking at the body now laying in the snow and the soul in her hand, "but what do I do now?" Kid looked at her for a moment. The most logical course of action would be to destroy the soul, effectively ending the power of the Dark Soul. But he remembered what his father had told him about his own fight with Erik.

_"He fought for a noble cause, even though it made him a monster,"_ Lord Death had said. In that moment, Kid felt the same kind of compassion, and in a split second decision, he took the soul from Minora.

"Kid?" she asked, but he didn't reply.

_"Father encased him in crystal...maybe I can do the same...only keep his soul and body seperate?"_

_Ten Years Later_

Maka walked with her now five year old son into the Death Room. She wanted him to become a talented Meister or maybe, if he could become a Weapon (he hadn't shown any ability so far), a Death Scythe. And what better way to do so than to give him the grand tour of the place that could make that happen.

"Mommy, I'm bored!" he whined, but went silent as he saw the Death Room proper. Maka stepped forward and knelt for a moment.

"Lord Death, I'd like to introduce you to my son, Altezio." Kid turned around and chuckled warmly.

"But Maka, I've met your son before. And stand up. Friends don't bow to each other." It seemed that becoming Lord Death had helped to even Kid out, and he seemed calmer than usual. Altezio was not tugging on his mothers jacket and pointing up at a purple crystal hanging in midair.

"Mommy! Mommy! What's that?" he asked, and she knelt down, patting down his messy white hair.

"That? That crystal holds the soul of a very dear friend. You even got your name from him, you know?" The boy, too young to understand exactly what she meant, asked, "Was he a hero?" She smiled at this before looking up at the crystal herself.

"Yeah. He was."

**That's it for the epilogue. Again, thanks to everyone who decided to share this journey with me. And now, a preview of the sequel! Huzzah!**

Kishins and Warlocks

"Tez, watch out!" Ixion cried to his friend, who was currently airborn from the explosion from his attack. He hadn't meant for that to happen, but he supposed these things happened. Below the white haired Meister, black shadows were working their way up to him at breakneck speeds.

"Spell 076! Flash Bombs!" Ixion cried, the spell creating several balls of electric energy in his hands. He tossed them all at once in Altezio's direction. They exploded in a blinding flash of light between the Meister and the shadows, pretty much destroying the latter.

"Thanks Ix!" cried Altezio to his best friend as he began to fall. Unfortunately, the Glooming Witch had other plans, and more shadows shot out from her sleeves, wrapping around the boy as he hit the ground. His Weapon partner was pinned against his body as the witch squeezed, causing both children to cry out in pain.

"Let them go!" Ixion cried, electricity jumping from his fingertips. The Glooming Withc merely smiled an evil smile and said, "As you wish," before flipping the two back and launching them to the air. They collided with the wooden wall of the room and crashed through it, allowing the light of the day outside in.

"Tez! Karin!" Tez cried, reaching a hand out to the two, but they were gone. He looked over in anger as the Glooming Witch chuckled lightly.

"Well, if the initial impact didn't kill them...the fall down the mountain will. Poor things." Electricity flashed across Ixions eyes.

"Oh, are you getting serious now? It's about time," the witch said mockingly as Ixion crouched low, holding his hands to his sides as electricity began to arch back and forth from the ground and himself, creating a magic circle beneath him.

"Spell 13!"

**And there ya go. Enjoy? 'Cause I'd like to know. Thank you all so so so SOOOO MUCH!**


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